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EXODUS
TO THE READER
EDITION
OF THE
GREEK TEXT
The NETS translation of the book of Exodus has followed the edition of the Greek text prepared by John
William Wevers (Septuaginta: Vetus Testamentum Graecum Auctoritate Academiae Scientiarum Gottingensis editum II.1: Exodus [Göttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, 1991]).
This English translation has not altered Wevers’ edited Greek text of Exodus, except infrequently in relation to punctuation. Whereas one might argue for modifications in selected texts, it seemed prudent to
adhere to the Göttingen edition and to postpone discussion of possible changes to Wevers’ edition and
treat them in the commentary on the NETS translation of Exodus under preparation.
In the account of the tabernacle (Hebrew [MT] 28.23–28; 36.8–34; 37.10b–15, 17–27), in those contexts where the Greek translation omits material in the Hebrew as we know it, Wevers inserted the Greek
text as Origen constructed it. However, because these insertions are not part of the original translation,
an English translation of Origen’s text appears indented and in smaller typeface in the appropriate places.
TRANSLATION PROFILE
OF THE
GREEK
General Character
The material found in Exodus consists of narrative, poetry, legal formulation and instructions for
building and operating the tabernacle. The Greek translator generally adhered closely to a form of the
Hebrew text similar to the MT. From time to time, however, the Greek is longer,1 shorter2 or ordered differently.3 Reasons for such variation are not always clear, and each context requires careful evaluation. For
the most part, however, the translator sought to provide a word-for-word rendering. The terms “interlinearity” or “isomorphism” appropriately describe how the translator seems to have proceeded.4
While the Greek is often stilted, it normally conveys the sense of the Hebrew text well, and the translator uses various approaches to bring liveliness to the text. For example, in some contexts where the
same Hebrew term is used repeatedly, the translator selected different Greek terms as glosses for the same
Hebrew. An interesting example is found in the genealogies of chapter 6.
hxp#m
ge/nesij (vv. 24, 25)
patria/ (vv. 15, 19)
sugge/neia (v. 14)
In this case the translator, presumably because he has already used a preferred term to represent one
Hebrew lexeme, then selected a second Greek term to represent hxp#m. So within the space of ten verses
1
2
3
4
Some examples of apparent expansions:
10.22
kai\ e)ge/neto sko/toj gno/foj qu/ella
hlp) K#x yhyw
and there was darkness, gloom, hurricane
and there was dense darkness
13.2
pa~n prwto/tokon prwtogene\j
rwkb lk
every firstborn, first-produced
all the firstborn
16.29
th\n h(me/ran tau/thn ta\ sa/bbata
tb#h
this day, the sabbaths
the sabbath
25.16(17) i9lasth/rion e)pi/qema xrusi/ou kaqarou=
rwh+ bhz trpk
a propitiatory as a cover of pure gold
a mercy seat of pure gold
32.9 in the MT text is not represented in the Greek translation. NRSV renders the MT as The LORD said to Moses,
“ ‘I have seen this people, how stiff-necked they are.’ ”
The order of the commandments in MT 20.13–15 is different from that in the Greek translation:
MT: Murder
Greek: Adultery
Adultery
Theft
Theft
Murder
Pietersma, “Paradigm.”
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to the reader of exodus
we find three different terms rendering hxp#m. Another example would be in 2.7 where the MT reads
tqnym (“nurse”) and qnyt (“to nurse”), using the same Hebrew root. The translator chose the participle
trofeu/ousan (“a nursing woman”) and qhla/sei (“she shall suckle”), two distinct terms, to gloss the same
Hebrew root. This kind of lexical variation in the Greek translation occurs quite regularly, even as the
translator is careful to preserve general, interlinear correspondence in his translation.
In the Hebrew narrative of Exodus the waw-conjunctive occurs frequently. The translator of Exodus
normally used kai/ as the Greek equivalent. However, where a change in subject occurs or some other emphasis may be warranted, he selected de/. Aejmelaeus observes that in the case of the translation of Exodus “[c]oordination of clauses by w has been rendered by the use of various literal and free renderings,
but total omission of w—disregarding the apodotic cases—is found in less than 3% of the cases, of which
3% some cases may even depend upon a difference in the Vorlage.”5 So the places where the translator
failed to render the conjunction are rather infrequent. The translator was equally careful to render pronouns in his Hebrew text.
In the case of word order the translator tended to follow his Hebrew text, but not always slavishly. For
example, in Hebrew the pronominal formations normally are attached to nouns as suffixes. We should
expect the translator to place the pronoun in Greek following the noun, imitating the Hebrew order, if
adherence to Hebrew word order was a significant issue. Non-translation Greek tends to place them in
front. In Greek Exodus we discover that about 30 (out of approximately 350) cases are pre-posed, a proportion that is unusually high among the various Septuagint translators.
The aorist form of the verb is the most common rendering chosen by the translator for the Hebrew
verb, reflecting the large number of suffixed forms or waw (w) + prefixed forms (in narrative). However,
he does not hesitate to employ other Greek tense forms should that convey more adequately his understanding of the sense of his Hebrew text. An interesting example of this is found in 1.12–14. In the comparative clause structure of v. 12 the translator rendered the imperfect aspect of the Hebrew verbs well by
the Greek imperfect form (“But as much as they were humbling them, by so much the more they kept becoming more numerous and stronger”). Each of the verbs that follow (vv. 12b–14) continues to use Greek
imperfect forms. This tense form fit the context well, because at this point in the story the narrative reports the worsening condition of the Israelite people as they were oppressed. We also observe in this same
context the translator’s use of lexical variation for the same Hebrew term:
v. 13 Krpb . . . wdb(yw kai\ kateduna/steuon . . . bi/a| (imperfect tense)
v. 14 Krpb . . . wdb(
katedoulou~nto . . . meta\ bi/aj (imperfect tense)
And further his repeated use of similar formations (in this case kata- compounds), presumably for
literary effect, may be noted:
v. 13–14 kateduna/steuon . . . katwdu/nwn . . . katedoulou~nto.
After his extensive study of the Septuagint of Exodus, Wevers comments that “the dominant characteristic of Exod as a translation document is its expansionist character. On the whole Exod expands far
more than contracts.”6 This tendency appears in many different forms. For example, the translator is careful to define Aaron as Moyses’ brother even when this is not present in the source text (cf. 7.7, 9, 19; 8.5).
At 25.6(17) the translator defined the trpk (i9lasth/rion), the gold plate placed at the top of the ark, as
a “cover” (e0pi/qema), a term that has no equivalent in the Hebrew text.
Other examples could be added, but the tendency is clear. There is no indication that such clarifications are based on a different Hebrew text. Rather, these additions probably represent the translator’s efforts to ensure that his understanding of the source text would be communicated clearly and explicitly in
Greek to the reader.
Of Stereotypes, Calques and Isolates
As the translator proceeded in his work, choosing appropriate terms in the target language to render
adequately and contextually the sense of the source text taxed his ability. In Exodus the translator was
sensitive to the Hebrew context and so did not hesitate to choose different Greek terms so that the He5
6
Anneli Aejmelaeus, On the Trail of the Septuagint Translators (Kampen, the Netherlands: Kok Pharos Publishing
House, 1993), 100.
J. W. Wevers, Text History of the Greek Exodus (Göttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, 1992) 148.
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brew sense, as he understood it, would be conveyed adequately. Once he connected a Greek term semantically with a Hebrew term, he tended to continue with this equivalency, unless the context led him
to gloss the source text in a different way. For example, the usual rendering of rbd in Exodus is lalei=n,
whereas le/gein normally renders rm). However, in one case (31.12, where there is no textual variant in
the Septuagint tradition) lalei=n renders rm), and out of the three hundred occurrences of le/gein, it
translates rbd about seventeen times. lalei=n would seem to constitute the default rendering of rbd. It
is not clear why variation from the default occurs, but it indicates that the translator exercised some freedom. As we have noted previously, we discover lexical variation in contexts where we would expect the
usual Greek equivalent because the same Hebrew term is repeated.
Sometimes a Hebrew term will have several distinctive meanings, but the translator will use one Greek
term whose semantic content only covers one of the meanings expressed by the Hebrew term. In such
cases if the translator sticks with the usual equivalent, then it may create some tension in the context. An
examination of the use of a(marti/a as the usual equivalent for t)+x (eleven times) and Nw( (three times)
provides an interesting example. t)+x indicates both sin and the ritual associated with removing sin
(i.e., sin offering). NRSV, for instance, renders it as “sin offering” at 29.14, 36; 30.10, but in all other contexts it uses “sin” (10.17; 32.21, 30, 31, 32, 34; 34.7, 9). The standard sense of a(marti/a is “failure, fault
or sin.” It does not carry the sense of “sin offering.” When the translator uses a(marti/a as the stereotypical gloss for t)+x, the Greek term no longer makes sense in those contexts where t)+x signifies “sin
offering.” In 29.36 where Moyses is instructed every day to “offer a bull as a sin offering for atonement”
(NRSV), the Septuagint reads kai\ to\ mosxa/rion th~v a(marti/aj poih/seij th|~ h(me/ra| tou~ kaqarismou= (“and
the young calf for the sin you shall do on the day of the purification” [NETS]). In these contexts a(marti/a
becomes an isolate, i.e., being the default rendering for t)+x but not rendering the contextualized
meaning of this Hebrew term in the context of the source language, leading to semantic tension in the
Greek context (on isolates, see “TO THE READER OF NETS”).
If we move further along this lexical continuum, the calque represents the point on the semantic scale
where the semantic range of the Hebrew term dominates that of the chosen Greek gloss. The use of
diaqh/kh (27.21; 31.7; 39.15) as the standard equivalent for tyrb is a well-known example. Others commonly found in the Septuagint also occur in Exodus—i0dou/ for hnh, ku/rioj for hwhy and do/ca for dwbk.
At times the translator has recourse to transliteration as his only viable strategy. Some of these become
standard Greek terms. These would include sa/bbata (Sabbata), pa/sxa (passover), ma/n (Man),
xerou/b/xeroubi/m (cheroub/cheroubim) and terms of measurement such as go/mor and i3n.
THE NETS TRANSLATION
OF
EXODUS
Selected Words and Phrases
1. The Bread of Presentation
The translator rendered variously the bread that God commands to be placed on the table outside the
most holy part of the tent of witness, the bread of the presence. In the first three Exodus contexts where
these ritual loaves are discussed, as God gives instructions to Moyses for the construction of the tent of
witness and Moyses has it built, the MT has Mynp Mxl (25.30) or Mynph Mxl t)w (35.13; 39.36). The
Septuagint renderings are various:
25.29(30)
35.13
39.18 (39.36)
a1rtouj e0nwpi/ouj e0nanti/on mou (facing loaves in front of me, NETS)
(no equivalent in Septuagint)
kai\ tou\j a!rtouj tou\j prokeime/nouj (and the presentation loaves, NETS)
In Ex 40.23 (LXX 40.21) as the writer describes the placement of the table in the constructed tent of
witness, the bread is placed on it but defined as Mxl Kr( (lit. “an arrangement of bread”). NRSV renders the sentence “and set the bread in order on it.” This clause is rendered by the translator:
Kai\ proe/qhken e)p )au)th~j a1rtouj th~j proqe/sewj e1nanti kuri/ou
(hwhy ynpl Mxl Kr( wyl( Kr(yw) (MT)
and he presented on it loaves of presentation before the Lord (NETS)
(and he set the bread in order on it before the LORD) (NRSV)
The translator did not consider the Hebrew expression to be a technical, cultic phrase, or if he did, either he felt no compulsion to render it consistently or he did not have readily to hand a Greek equivalent that had become normative for Greek-speaking Jews in Alexandria. The rendering that becomes
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somewhat standard (used in Supplements [Chronicles] for example), i.e., a!rtouj th~j proqe/sewj, only
occurs in the Pentateuch at Exodus at 40.21(23) and possibly 39.18(36). We do not know for sure
whether the original translator devised the phrase that comes to represent the “loaves of presentation” in
Greek, since it is not clear if the same person translated Ex 1–34 and 35–40. What the translator does
present consistently is that these loaves were placed “before the Lord.”
2. Divine Name and General Term for Deity
The usual rendering of the tetragrammaton (hwhy) in Exodus is ku/rioj, as in the other sections of the
Septuagint. Four times (3.4; 13.19; 18.1; 20.1), however, the translator uses ku/rioj to render Myhl).
Why the translator glossed Myhl) with ku/rioj is not altogether clear, but the variation does not seem to
be textually based. ku/rioj as a translation of the tetragrammaton renders the qere of the Hebrew text (i.e.,
what the vowel marks indicate, ynd)), not the kethibh (i.e., what the consonants indicate).
Several times (4.10, 13; 5.22; 15.17; 32.22) when the author addresses God as Nwd) (“Lord” or “Master”), the translator renders it as ku/rioj. In these cases ku/rioj renders the Hebrew term appropriately. In
ten contexts the translation has ku/rioj with no equivalent in the MT. Sometimes the addition seems to
be for clarification (8.28; 17.15; 24.1, 16; 32.31; 34.10; 35.3; 39.12), and in the other instance the translator has apparently chosen to represent the meaning of the Hebrew text in a different way (16.32).
In 4.24 the translator has opted for a!ggeloj kuri/ou to render hwhy. Perhaps the translator did not
want to attribute directly to “the Lord” this attempt on Moyses’ life. Several times the double term hwhy
Myhl) was rendered by ku/rioj alone (8.10; 9.30), and hwhy alone was rendered by ku/rioj o9 qeo/j u9mw~n
/ sou (12.31; 13.5, 11). Whether these anomalies were textually based or occurred for some other reason
is uncertain.
In the Septuagint of Exodus ku/rioj normally lacks a definite article (about 354 times in Wevers’ edition), which would indicate that the translator considered it primarily a proper name.7 There are fifteen
occasions when the translator used the definite article with ku/rioj to represent hwhy. There does not appear to be any specific pattern.
Qeo/j usually translates Myhl) (about 129 times in Exodus). However, in 41 contexts it rendered hwhy
(almost a quarter of the occurrences of qeo/j). The only occurrence of yd# l) (6.3, preposed by the
preposition b) is rendered as qeo\j w2n au)tw~n (“being their God,” NETS). Several times (3.18 [2x]; 5.3b)
the translator rendered the combined Myhl) hwhy by qeo/j alone. Perhaps the translator thought that the
use of ku/rioj would not be appropriate because of the way God’s personal name was being revealed to
Israel (3.18), or perhaps, because Moyses was making his first appeal to Pharao (5.3b), the more generic term seemed appropriate. There are also several contexts where the Hebrew text has l) as the reference to God, and the translator normally used qeo/j as his gloss. In a number of contexts qeo/j apparently has no Hebrew equivalent, usually in conjunction with cases of ku/rioj to render hwhy.
The translator’s use of qeo/j, the general term for deity (including non-Israelite deities), was more diverse than his use of his equivalent for the proper name of Israel’s God. In NETS Exodus qeo/j is rendered
as ‘G/god’ and ku/rioj as ‘L/lord.’ The capitalized forms refer to Israel’s deity.
In Ex 3.13–14, when God appears to Moyses through the burning bush, Moyses asks God to tell him
his name. The translator rendered the difficult Hebrew as )Egw& ei)mi o( w!n (“I am The One Who Is,”
NETS8). The translator repeated (14b) this expression (o( w!n = hyh)) as the name for the God of Israel,
who has sent Moyses. The similar form of hwhy (proper name) and hyh) (first person singular, prefix
form of the Qal stem of hyh = “to be”) and the corresponding etiology cannot be duplicated in Greek.
The translator opted to translate the expression, not to transliterate it in this context.
3. Pharao’s “Hardness of Heart”
In Exodus one of the most provocative issues is the way in which Israel’s God interacts with Pharao.
As God acts to extricate Israel from her bondage in Egypt, he influences Pharao’s behavior. His motive is
7
8
Normally in Greek a proper name does not require the definite article. Sometimes, if the name is indeclinable, the
definite article will be used to remove any ambiguity about the function of its noun in the clause. When the
Hebrew text uses Nwd) to refer to a human “lord, owner, master,” the translator consistently uses an article with
the noun to indicate that it is not being used as a proper name (21.4[2x], 5, 6[2x], 8, 32). This same convention is
used to represent l(b (21.28, 29[2x], 34[2x]; 22.8, 11, 12, 14, 15). There is no Hebrew equivalent to the usage at
21.36 but the Greek text uses the definite article (tw~| kuri/w| au)tou~).
NRSV glosses the Hebrew as “I AM WHO I AM,” with several options mentioned in the footnote, namely “I AM WHAT I
AM” or “I WILL BE WHAT I WILL BE.”
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explained in 14.4: “I will harden Pharaoh’s heart . . . so that I will gain glory for myself over Pharaoh and
all his army; and the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD” (NRSV). Three Hebrew verbs are used to
express this concept and the translator is quite consistent, if not stereotyped, in his renderings, with the
exception of 7.13.
dbk
baru/nw
Qal form: 7.149; 9.7
Hiphil form:
8.11(15), 28(32);
9.34; 10.110
h#q
sklhru/nw
Hiphil form: 7.3;
13.15
qzx
sklhru/nw
Piel form: 4.21; 9.12;
10.20, 27; 11.10; 14.4,
8, 17
Qal form: 7.3, 22;
8.15(19); 9.35
qzx
katisxu/w
Qal form: 7.13
In these choices the translator sought to reflect the different emphases in the Hebrew terms—heaviness or weightiness in the equivalence of baru/nw for dbk and hardness in the equivalence of sklhru/nw
for h#q. However, the equivalence of sklhru/nw and katisxu/w for qzx (“make strong, strengthen”) is
notable, but for different reasons. In the case of sklhru/nw, the semantic overlap in Exodus with qzx focuses on the idea of firmness = stubbornness. The Hebrew term generally means, “to be strong or firm”
and in the Piel form “to make strong or firm.” When related to the noun bl (“heart”), it signifies positively devotion (a firm conviction), but negatively stubbornness. sklhru/nw represents the latter in Exodus as it defines Pharao’s response to God’s activities through the plagues or the catastrophe at the Red
Sea. If the evidence in LSJ is correct and complete, this usage of the verb sklhru/nw to signify stubbornness may have emerged initially in the Septuagint of Exodus.11
The singular use of katisxu/w at 7.13 as the rendering of qzx with the sense of “prevail” is also interesting (“and the heart of Pharao prevailed, and he did not listen to them” [NETS]). Wevers suggests that
“presumably Exod here used kati/sxusen to set the scene of the struggle between the divine signs and the
stubborn heart of Pharaoh.”12 In other words the translator purposely changed the stereotypical rendering of qzx by sklhru/nw to kati/sxusen, probably to emphasize this aspect of contest. In this context God
performs the first sign through Moyses and Aaron to convince Pharao to release Israel (the rod becoming a dragon) (7.8–13), and it follows the explanation that God provides to Moyses concerning the series of events that is about to unfold and result in Israel’s release. Only in this context (7.1–13) do we
find all three terms (baru/nw, sklhru/nw, katisxu/w) used to define God’s influence on Pharao and
Pharao’s response to Moyses’ demands as God’s representative.
4. “Seeing God”
Exodus is unusual in the narratives of the Old Testament with respect to the number of times when
people, either individually or as a group, ask to “see God” or are permitted by God’s initiative to see him.
In addition to the times that Moyses is invited up onto Mount Sina in order to meet with God (Moyses’
face is shining after he meets with God), the pillar of cloud and fire or the cloud that descended over the
newly erected tabernacle signify the presence of God with Israel, all of which reflect this emphasis upon
seeing, meeting, or in some other way directly interacting with God.
Where the Hebrew text states that people “see God,” the translator employs various means to express
a theologically sensitive rendering, presumably preserving the theological principle that no person can
see God and live. At 3.6 the comparative texts and translations read:
Significant manuscripts in the tradition read beba/rhtai, and Rahlfs opted for this as the original text. Wevers
disagrees, arguing that the variation occurs because of homonymity, which only occurs between these verbs in the
perfect form. Because bare/w does not occur elsewhere in Exodus (nor in the Septuagint other than as a variant at
2 Makk 13.9) and baru/nw is the usual rendering for dbk in Exodus, when it has this sense, Wevers opts for
beba/runtai as the original reading.
10 In 10.1 there are significant Greek texts that have the alternative reading e)sklh/runa. Rahlfs chose this reading,
presumably because it had the support of B. However, I think Wevers’ judgment is correct that the translator’s
consistent use of baru/nw for dbk in reference to Pharao’s stubbornness would urge us to accept e)ba/runa as the
original text.
11 The adjective sklhro/j does signify stubbornness as early as Plato’s writings, and so the extension of the cognate
verb to signify this would not be exceptional, if this is in fact what the translation of Exodus initiated. See LSJ,
1612.
12 J. W. Wevers, Notes on the Greek Text of Exodus (Atlanta: Scholars Press, 1990) 98.
9
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MT:
Myhl)h l) +ybhm )ry yk wynp h#m rtsyw
NRSV: And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.
LXX
a)pe/streyen de\ Mwush~jto\ pro/swpon au)tou~: eu)labei~to ga\r katemble/yai e)nw&pion tou~
qeou~.
NETS: And Moyses turned his face away, for he was being reverent to look down before God.
This singular use of katemble/yai in Exodus as the rendering of +ybhm here indicates that the translator was avoiding the implication that Moyses actually “looked at,” i.e., saw, God. Wevers also notes that
the preposition e0nw&pion “enhances the avoidance of directly looking at God.”13
After God completes his revelation of Israel’s covenantal obligations, he invites the Israelite leadership
to ascend Sina and worship (24.1–2). The narrative describes this encounter (24.9–11) as an occasion
when the chief men of Israel “saw the God of Israel . . . they beheld God” (NRSV). In fact they celebrated by eating a sacred meal in God’s presence. The comparative texts and translations read:
MT:
Myhl)h t) wzxyw (11) . . . l)r#y yhl) t) w)ryw (10)
NRSV: and they saw the God of Israel . . . also they beheld God
LXX:
kai\ ei]don to\n to/pon, ou[ ei9sth/kei e)kei= o( qeo\j tou= )Israh/l . . . kai\ w!fqhsan e)n tw~| to/pw| tou=
qeou=.
NETS: And they saw the place, there where the God of Israel stood . . . And they appeared in the
place of God
The Septuagint translator would only admit that Israel’s leaders saw “the place . . . where the God of
Israel stood,” but not that human beings saw God. He described this place in the following manner: “that
which was beneath his feet, like something made from lapis lazuli brick and like the appearance of the
firmament of heaven in purity.” This note in the narrative may have influenced his choice to emphasize
the “place” of God. The Hebrew text (v. 11) notes the expectation that seeing God should result in calamity, but God graciously restrains himself. No one is harmed through this experience. “Not even one . . .
perished,” the Septuagint notes.
The other primary context comes in Ex 33–34 as Moyses intercedes with God, seeking Israel’s preservation from God’s threatened judgment after the golden calf episode. When God promises to relent and
to continue with his program to bring Israel to the land of Chanaan, Moyses asks for some visible sign
that God will stand by his word. Moyses boldly asks to see God. “Show me your glory!” he demands
(33.18). The risk in his demand becomes explicit as the narrator records God’s warning that “you cannot
see my face; for no one shall see me and live” (33.20). Yet God makes an accommodation for Moyses’
sake. While many things in this narrative context deserve comment, I will focus on 33.23.
MT:
NRSV:
LXX:
NETS:
w)ry )l ynpw yrx) t) ty)rw ypk t) ytrshw
then I will take away my hand, and you shall see my back; but my face shall not be seen.
kai\ a)felw~ th\n xei=ra, kai\ to/te o!yh| ta\ o)pi/sw mou, to\ de\ pro/swpo/n mou ou)k o)fqh/setai/ soi.
And I will take my hand away, and then you shall see my hind parts, but my face will not
appear to you.
The translator removes any suggestion that Moyses might see any significant part of God, only his
“hind parts.”
The translator’s handling of these contexts would suggest that his theological framework governed his
rendering, as he sought to follow the principle (33.20) that “no one shall see me [God] and live,” at the
same time dealing with segments in the narrative of Exodus that affirmed that some in Israel did see God
and continued to live.
Perhaps connected with this phenomenon is the way in which the translator renders the Hebrew root
d(y, which means “to appoint, meet.” When it occurs in the description of the ark and the use of the
propitiatory or the tabernacle itself, God affirms to Israel that “there I will meet with you” (25.21; 29.42,
43; 30.6, 36). However, in each of these settings the translator “quite intentionally”14 understood this
root as the verb (dy, which means “to know.”
13
14
Wevers, Notes, 28.
Wevers, Notes, 401.
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to the reader of exodus
Text
25.22(21)
MT
M# Kl ytd(wnw
NRSV
There I will meet
with you
LXX
kai\ gnwsqh/somai/
soi e)kei~qen
29.42
Mkl d(w) r#)
hm#
where I will meet
with you
30.6
Kl d(w) r#)
hm#
where I will meet
with you
30.36
Kl d(w) r#)
hm#
where I shall
meet with you
29.43
hm# ytd(nw
l)r#y ynbl
e0n oi[j
gnwsqh/somai/ soi
e)kei~qen
e0n oi[j
gnwsqh/somai/ soi
e)kei~qen
o3qen
gnwsqh/somai/ soi
e)kei~qen
kai\ ta/comai e)kei~
toi~j ui(oi~j
0Israh/l
I will meet with
the Israelites
there
49
NETS
And I will be
known to you
from there
by which I will
be known to you
there
by which I will
be known to you
there
there where I
shall be known
to you.
And I will there
prescribe for the
sons of Israel
It is improbable that in all four instances the translator misread his source text or that he read a source
at variance with MT. More likely, they bespeak theological sensitivity about divine involvement in human
agency. The translator emphasized that God revealed himself, and this is how a “meeting” was to be understood between God and human beings. The use of ta/comai in 29.43 reinforces this idea that God’s
meeting was the occasion when his commands were communicated.
5. The Ten Commandments
The translator’s rendering of the traditionally named “ten commandments” (Ex 20.1–17) was very
close to the Hebrew text as we have it today. However, characteristically the Greek text is expansionist:
20.10 o( bou~j sou kai\ to\ u(pozu/gio/n sou (“your ox and your draft animal”)
20.12 i3na eu] soi ge/nhtai (“so that it may be well with you”)15
20.12 (e0pi\ th~j gh~j) th~j a)gaqh~j (“[on] the good [land]”).
Further, there are several texts in which the order of materials is different:
Text
20.13
MT
xcrt )l
20.14
P)nt )l
20.15
bngt )l
NRSV
You shall not
murder.
You shall not
commit adultery.
You shall not
steal.
LXX
Ou) moixeu/seij
Ou) kle/yeij
Ou0 fone/useij
NETS
You shall not
commit adultery.
You shall not
steal.
You shall not
murder.
Whether the different order is due to textual or other reasons is not possible to determine at this point.
One other word order change worth noting occurs in 20.17. The Septuagint places the neighbor’s wife
first before the neighbor’s house, in contrast to the Hebrew text that places the house first, followed by
the wife. Why such a reordering occurs remains a matter of speculation.
The terminology referring to the various commands that God gives to Israel tends to be stereotyped in
translation. The exceptions are the term qx, which is rendered by four different terms, and hwcm, which
was translated primarily by e)ntolh/, but once by pro/stagma. What nuance pro/stagma carried that made
it the right choice for the translator in 20.6 is uncertain.
15
The addition is included in the citation of this command in Ephesians 6.2–3.
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to the reader of exodus
50
No/moj
(law)
qx 12.43;13.10
hrwt 12.49;
13.9; 16.4, 28;
18.16, 20; 24.12
No/mimoj ai)w/nioj
(perpetual
precept)
Ml( tqx 12.14,
17; 27.21;
28.43(39)
Mlw( qx 29.28;
30.21
'Entolh/
(commandment)
hwcm 12.17;
15.26; 16.28;
24.12
Dikai/wma
(statute)
Pro/stagma
(ordinance)
qx 15.25, 26
qx 18.16, 20
+pmm 21.1, 9,
31; 24.3
hwmm 20.6
qx 12.24
The use of the adjective no/mimoj in the singular as a substantive to\ no/mimon,16 although infrequently
documented in the third century BCE, became the stereotyped rendering for (t)qx Mlw( in Exodus, reflecting the singular form of the Hebrew terms.
6. The Peoples of Chanaan
When God talks about fulfilling his promise to Abraam, Isaak and Iakob in Exodus, the land to which
he will lead them is defined as belonging to specific people. In the Greek Pentateuch seven different
groups are specified consistently:
ei)j to\n to/pon tw~n Xananai/wn kai\ Xettai/wn kai\ 0Amorrai/wn kai\ Ferezai/wn
kai\ Eu9ai/wn kai\ Gergesai/wn kai\ 0Iebousai/wn (into the place of the Chananites
and Chettites and Amorrites and Pherezites and Heuites and Gergesites and Iebousites.
[NETS 3.8, 17; 23.23; 34.11; in different order at 13.5; partial list at 23.28; 33.2])
Consistently (apart from 23.28) Gergesai/wn has been added at some point (position 4, 5 or 6) in the
list, although it does not occur in the translator’s Hebrew text.
7. Specific Texts
In Ex 25–31 Moyses receives instructions for building the tabernacle. After the event of the Golden Calf
(32–34), Moyses proceeds with the construction of the “tent of witness” (35–40). Undoubtedly the account describing the construction of the tabernacle (d(wm lh)), skhnh\ tou~ marturi/ou, “tent of witness,”
or Nk#m/skhnh/ “tent,” presents the greatest problem in Exodus to understanding the translation process.
The Greek text, when compared to the MT, is much shorter and puts various materials in a different
order. Further, some indicators suggest that either the translator responsible for at least part of chapters
35–40 was different from the translator of chapters 1–34 or a later editor has substantially altered the initial translation for some reason.
Generally speaking the Greek translation describes the production of the priestly vestments (36.8–40)
and then the construction of the tabernacle and its equipment (37.1–39.11), whereas the Hebrew text begins with the construction of the tabernacle and its equipment (36.8–38.31) and then describes the
priestly vestments (39). But the alterations in the translation are sometimes surprising. The Greek text
does not describe the making of the incense altar, for example. It abbreviates significantly passages related to the lampstand and the table of the presence. Detailed charts comparing the Hebrew and Greek texts
can be found in various treatments of this problem.17 Midrashic explanation that is not found in the Hebrew text occurs at one point. The bronze for the bronze altar is said to be taken “from the bronze firepans that belonged to the men who revolted with the gathering of Kore” (38.22).18
16
17
18
W. Gutbrod, “no/mimoj,” in TDNT IV, 1088 notes “As a noun to\ no/mimon is ‘what is right and fair’; P.landanae
(1912/14), 16,8.”
D. W. Gooding, The Account of the Tabernacle: Translations and Textual Problems of the Greek Exodus, Texts and Studies:
Contributions to Biblical and Patristic Literature (New Series 6; Cambridge, 1959); Wevers, Text History, 117–143;
Aejmelaeus, On the Trail, 116–130; Martha Wade, Consistency of Translation Techniques in the Tabernacle Accounts of
Exodus in the Old Greek (SBLSCS 49; Atlanta: SBL, 2003).
The material seems to be taken from the account in Num 16.37–39 (MT: 17.2–4).
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to the reader of exodus
51
Various hypotheses have been proposed to explain why these major differences emerged in the tradition:
1. The translator had a Hebrew text different from that which we have today, and this accounts for the
variation in the Greek text. However, no Hebrew text yet discovered seems to match the Greek translation.
2. For some reason the translator of chapters 1–34 did not complete the translation and another person finished the task, who used a different translation process, while consulting the earlier material. Detailed studies of translation technique expressed in these respective sections, however, indicate only
minor variations in translation techniques between these sections of Exodus, apart from chapter 38.
3. One person did the original translation of Exodus following the order of the Hebrew text as we
know it, but because he misunderstood the text, or for some other reasons, he created inconsistencies in
his translation. A later reviser has edited this original work, adding some materials particularly in chapter 38 and being responsible for a major rearrangement of the Greek text.
4. The original translator is responsible for the current Greek text and used specific principles as the
basis for his unique account, which is a “well-planned, well-constructed account which when read by itself and without prejudice usually makes good sense.”19
At this point we might suggest that the most recent comprehensive studies (1) see no need to postulate a different Hebrew text throughout chapters 35–40, (2) discern a large degree of consistency in the
fundamental translation technique used throughout Greek Exodus, but (3) detect enough difference between 1–34 and 35–40 to indicate another hand may be at work in some way in the final chapters of the
translation, and (4) proceed from the assumption that the original translation of 35–40 was created to
make sense to the translator and his presumed audience. We have little data to inform us about the sociological aspects of translation in antiquity and in particular biblical translation. Whether it was acceptable to abbreviate portions of sacred text and make major rearrangements in the structure of the narrative remains debated. However, the fact remains, whether we postulate one translator for Ex 1–40 or
several translators or editors, we have a Greek translation for this section that is quite different, being
much shorter and ordered differently, from the Hebrew text that we possess today.
EDITORIAL DETAIL
NETS Exodus normally has followed the punctuation proposed in Wevers’ edited text. In terms of versification, where the Septuagint differs from that of the NRSV, the NRSV versification is noted in parenthesis (cf. 18.18; 21.16, 17).
BIBLIOGRAPHICAL NOTE
In addition to the standard grammars and lexica, I have received considerable assistance from the works
by John William Wevers, particularly his Notes on the Greek Text of Exodus (1990) and his Text History of
the Greek Exodus (1992). The translation and commentary by Alain le Boulluec and Pierre Sandevoir in
L’Exode BA (1989) has been helpful in many instances. The earlier translation by Brenton has also provided assistance from time to time.
Wevers’ discussion of the Tabernacle section, as well as those by David Gooding in The Account of the
Tabernacle: Translation and Textual Problem of the Greek Exodus (1959) and Martha Wade in Consistency of
Translation Techniques in the Tabernacle Accounts of Exodus in the Old Greek (2003), have provided significant methodological and textual suggestions.
I must also acknowledge the assistance of Albert Pietersma, who provided editorial guidance and
helped to resolve many translation issues.
L ARRY J. P ERKINS
19
Wevers, Notes, 144.
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exodus 1–2
52
These are the names of the sons of Israel who
had entered into Egypt with Iakob their father.
1
Each with their whole household went in: Rouben,
2
Symeon, Leui, Ioudas, 3 Issachar, Zaboulon and
Beniamin, 4 Dan and Nephthali, Gad and Aser.
5 But Ioseph was in Egypt. Now all souls from
Iakob were seventy-five. 6 Then Ioseph died, and all
his brothers and all that generation. 7 But the sons
of Israel increased and multiplied and became
common and were growing very, very strong. Now
the land kept multiplying them.
8 Now another king arose over Egypt, who did
not know Ioseph. 9 Now he said to his nation,
“Look, the race of the sons of Israel is a great multitude and is becoming stronger than we. 10 Come
then, let us deal shrewdly with them, lest it be multiplied, and, whenever war happens to us, these
also shall be added to the opponents, and after
going to war against us, they shall depart from the
land.” 11 And he set over them overseers of tasks in
order to afflict them in the tasks. And they built
fortified cities for Pharao, both Pithom and
Ramesses and On, which is Heliopolisa. 12 But as
much as they were humbling them, by so much
the more they kept becoming more numerous and
stronger, and the Egyptians were disgusted with
the sons of Israel. 13 And the Egyptians were oppressing the sons of Israel forcefully 14 and were
grievously afflicting their life by the hard tasks in
clay and brick making and all the tasks in the
plains, according to all the tasks in which they
were enslaving them with force.
15 And the king of the Egyptians spoke to the
Hebrews’ midwives, to one of them whose name
was Sepphora, and the name of the second was
Phoua, 16 and he said, “Whenever you act as midwives to the Hebrew women and they should be at
the birthing stage, if then it be male, kill it, but if
female, preserve it alive.” 17 But the midwives
feared God, and they did not do as the king of
Egypt instructed them and tried to keep the males
alive. 18 Then the king of Egypt summoned the
midwives and said to them, “Why is it that you
have done this thing and tried to keep the males
alive?” 19 The midwives then said to Pharao, “The
Hebrew women are not like the women of Egypt,
for they give birth before the midwives go in to
them,” and they were already giving birth. 20 Now
God was dealing well with the midwives, and the
people kept on multiplying and becoming very
strong. 21 Because the midwives were fearing God,
they made families for themselves. 22 Then Pharao
instructed all his people, saying, “Every male that
might be born to the Hebrews, throw into the river,
and every female, keep it alive.”
Now there was a certain man from the tribe of
Leui who took one of the daughters of Leui
2
and married her. And she conceived and bore a
2
male child. Now when they saw it was handsome,
they sheltered it for three months. 3 But when they
could hide it no longer, its mother took a basket
aI.e.
Sun City
and plastered it with a mixture of pitch and tar,
and she put the child in it and placed it in the
marsh beside the river. 4 And his sister was watching from a distance to learn what would happen to
him.
5 Now Pharao’s daughter came down to the
river to bathe, and her attendants were walking beside the river. And when she saw the basket in the
marsh, she sent her attendant, and she picked it
up. 6 Now when she opened it, she saw a child crying in the basket, and Pharao’s daughter spared it
and said, “This is one of the Hebrews’ children.”
7 And his sister said to Pharao’s daughter, “Do you
wish that I summon for you a nursing woman
from the Hebrews, and she shall suckle the child
for you?” 8 Then she, Pharao’s daughter, said to her,
“Go!” But the girl went and summoned the child’s
mother. 9 And Pharao’s daughter said to her, “Take
care of this child for me, and suckle it for me, and
I will give you your pay.” Then the woman took the
child and kept suckling it. 10 Now when the child
grew up, she brought it to Pharao’s daughter, and
it became to her for a son. And she named his
name Moyses, saying, “I drew him out of the water.”
11 Now it came to pass in the course of those
many days, when he had fully grown, Moyses went
out to his brothers, the sons of Israel. And as he
observed their toil, he saw an Egyptian man beating some Hebrew from his own brothers, the sons
of Israel. 12 Now when he looked around this way
and that, he saw no one, and he struck the Egyptian and hid him in the sand. 13 Now when he
went out on the next day, he saw two Hebrew men
fighting, and he said to the one who was in the
wrong, “Why do you beat your fellow?” 14 But he
said, “Who appointed you ruler and judge over us?
You do not intend to kill me, do you, in the same
way you killed the Egyptian yesterday?” Then
Moyses was afraid and said, “Has this matter perhaps become so well known?” 15 Now Pharao
heard about this matter, and he was seeking to kill
Moyses.
Then Moyses withdrew from Pharao’s presence
and settled in the land of Madian. Now when he
came into the land of Madian, he sat upon the
well. 16 Now the priest of Madian had seven daughters who were tending their father’s sheep. So
when they arrived, they were drawing water until
they filled the receptacles in order to water their father’s sheep. 17 But when the shepherds arrived,
they were driving them away. But Moyses got up
and rescued them and drew water for them and
watered their sheep. 18 Now they arrived back to
Ragouel, their father, and he said to them, “Why is
it that you were quick to arrive today?” 19 And they
said, “An Egyptian man rescued us from the shepherds and drew water for us and watered the
sheep.” 20 And he said to his daughters, “And
where is he? And for what reason have you left this
man behind like this? Invite him then in order that
he might eat bread.” 21 Now Moyses stayed with the
man, and he gave Sepphora, his daughter, to Moy-
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exodus 2–4
ses for a wife. 22 Now when she became pregnant,
the woman bore a son, and Moyses called his
name Gersam, saying, “Because I am a resident
alien in a foreign land.”
23 Now after those many days the king of
Egypt died, and the sons of Israel groaned from the
tasks and cried out, and their cry rose up to God
from the tasks. 24 And God listened to their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with
Abraam and Isaak and Iakob. 25 And God looked
upon the sons of Israel, and he became known to
them.
And Moyses was tending the sheep of Iothor,
his father-in-law, the priest of Madian, and he
3
led the sheep beyond the wilderness and came to
the mountain, Choreb. 2 Now an angel of the Lord
appeared to him in a fire of flame out of the bush,
and he saw that the bush was burning with fire,
but the bush was not burning up. 3 Then Moyses
said, “When I pass by, I will look at this great sight,
why it is that the bush is not burning up.” 4 Now
when the Lord saw that he was drawing near to see,
the Lord called him from the bush, saying, “Moyses, Moyses.” And he said, “What is it?” 5 And he
said, “Do not come near here! Loose the sandal
from your feet! For the place on which you are
standing is holy ground.” 6 And he said to him, “I
am the God of your father, God of Abraam and
God of Isaak and God of Iakob.” And Moyses
turned his face away, for he was being reverent to
look down before God.
7 Then the Lord said to Moyses, “When I
looked, I saw the affliction of my people in Egypt,
and I have heard their cry on account of the
taskmasters. For I know their pain. 8 And I came
down to deliver them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them out of that land and to
bring them into a good and spacious land, into a
land flowing with milk and honey, into the place
of the Chananites and Chettites and Amorrites
and Pherezites and Heuites and Gergesites and
Iebousites. 9 And now, look, the cry of the sons of
Israel has come to me, and I have seen the oppression with which the Egyptians oppress them.
10 And now come, let me send you to Pharao, king
of Egypt, and you will bring my people, the sons of
Israel, out of the land of Egypt. 11 And Moyses said
to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharao,
king of Egypt, and that I should bring the sons of
Israel out of the land of Egypt?” 12 But God spoke
to Moyses, saying, “I will be with you, and this
shall be the sign for you that I am sending you:
when you have brought my people out of Egypt,
you shall also serve God at this mountain.”
13 And Moyses said to God, “Look, I shall
come to the sons of Israel and shall say to them,
‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you’; they
will ask me, ‘What is his name?’ What shall I say to
them?” 14 And God said to Moyses, “I am The One
Who Is.” And he said, “Thus shall you say to the
sons of Israel, ‘The One Who Is has sent me to
you.’ “ 15 And God said again to Moyses, “Thus you
shall say to the sons of Israel, ‘The Lord, the God
53
of your fathers, God of Abraam and God of Isaak
and God of Iakob, has sent me to you.’
This is an everlasting name of mine
and a memorial of generations to
generations.
16 “Therefore, go, and assemble the elders’
council of the sons of Israel, and you shall say to
them, ‘The Lord, the God of your fathers, has appeared to me, God of Abraam and God of Isaak
and God of Iakob, saying, “With concern I have
concerned myself with you and what has happened to you in Egypt.” 17 And I said, “I will bring
you up from the affliction of the Egyptians into the
land of the Chananites and Chettites and Heuites
and Amorrites and Pherezites and Gergesites and
Iebousites, into a land flowing with milk and
honey.” ‘ 18 And they will listen to your voice, and
you and the elders’ council of Israel shall go in to
Pharao, king of Egypt, and you shall say to him,
‘The God of the Hebrews has summoned us.
Therefore, let us go a three days’ journey into the
wilderness so that we may sacrifice to our God.’
19 Now I know that Pharao, king of Egypt, will not
permit you to go, except with a mighty hand.
20 And when I stretch out my hand, I will strike the
Egyptians with all my wonders that I will perform
among them, and after these things he will send
you away. 21 And I will give favor to this people before the Egyptians. Now whenever you depart, you
will not go away empty-handed. 22 But a woman
will ask from a neighbor and tent mate of hers silver and gold articles and clothing, and you shall
put them on your sons and on your daughters, and
you shall plunder the Egyptians.”
Then Moyses answered and said, “If then they
should not believe me or listen to my voice,
4
for they will say, ‘God has not appeared to you!’
what shall I say to them?” 2 Then the Lord said to
him, “What is this in your hand?” And he said, “A
rod.” 3 And he said, “Throw it on the ground!” And
he threw it on the ground, and it became a snake,
and Moyses fled from it. 4 And the Lord said to
Moyses, “Stretch out your hand, and seize the tail!
(then he stretched out his hand and seized the tail,
and it became a rod in his hand) 5 —so that they
may believe you, that the Lord, the God of their fathers, God of Abraam and God of Isaak and God
of Iakob, has appeared to you.”
6 Now the Lord said to him again, “Put your
hand into your bosom!” And he put the hand into
his bosom, and he brought his hand out of his
bosom, and his hand became as snow. 7 And he
said, “Again put your hand into your bosom!” And
he put the hand into his bosom and brought it out
of his bosom, and again it was restored to the color
of his flesh. 8 “Now if they should not believe you
or listen to the voice of the first sign, they will believe you because of the voice of the last sign. 9 And
it will be if they should not believe you for these
two signs or listen to your voice, you shall take
some of the river’s water and pour it on the dry
ground, and the water, whatever you take from the
river, will be blood on the dry ground.”
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exodus 4–5
10 But Moyses said to the Lord, “Please, Lord, I
am incompetent—before yesterday or the third
day or since you began to speak to your attendant.
I am weak-voiced and slow-tongued.” 11 Then the
Lord said to Moyses, “Who gave a mouth to a person, and who made him deaf and mute, seeing
and blind? Is it not I, the Lord God? 12 And now go,
and I will open your mouth and teach you what
you are going to speak.” 13 And Moyses said,
“Please, Lord, appoint another capable person,
whom you will send.” 14 And enraged with anger
towards Moyses the Lord said, “Look, is not Aaron
your brother, the Leuite? I know that when he
speaks, he will speak for you. And look, he will
come out to meet you, and when he sees you, he
will be glad in himself. 15 And you shall speak to
him and put my words in his mouth. And I will
open your mouth and his mouth and will teach
you what you shall do. 16 And he shall speak for
you to the people, and he shall be your mouth, but
you shall be to him the things pertaining to God.
17 And this rod, which was turned into a snake, you
shall take in your hand, with which you shall perform the signs with it.“
18 Now Moyses went and returned to Iothor,
his father-in-law, and said, “I shall go and return to
my brothers in Egypt and see whether they are still
living.” And Iothor said to Moyses, “Go in health.”
Now after those many days the king of Egypt had
died. 19 And the Lord said to Moyses in Madian,
“Go! Return to Egypt! For all those who were seeking your soul are dead.” 20 Then Moyses took his
wife and children and put them on draft animals,
and he went back to Egypt. And Moyses took the
rod from God in his hand.
21 And the Lord said to Moyses, “As you go and
return to Egypt, see, all the wonders which I put in
your hands, you shall perform them before
Pharao. But I will harden his heart, and he will not
send the people away. 22 Then you shall say to
Pharao, ‘This is what the Lord says, “My firstborn
son is Israel.” 23 And I said to you, “Send my people away so that they might serve me.” Now then,
if you are unwilling to send them away, see then, I
will kill your firstborn son.’ “
24 Now it happened on the way at the lodging,
an angel of the Lord met him and was seeking to
kill him. 25 And Sepphora took a pebble and circumcised the foreskin of her son, and she fell at his
feet and said, “The blood of the circumcision of
my child is staunched.” 26 And he went away from
him, because she said, “The blood of the circumcision of my child is staunched.”
27 And the Lord said to Aaron, “Go into the
wilderness for a meeting with Moyses.” And he
went and met him at the mountain of God, and
they kissed one another. 28 And Moyses reported to
Aaron all the words of the Lord that he sent and all
the signs that he commanded him. 29 Then Moyses
and Aaron went and assembled the elders’ council
of the sons of Israel. 30 And Aaron spoke all these
words that God had spoken to Moyses and performed the signs before the people. 31 And the people believed and were glad because God had ob-
served the sons of Israel and because he had seen
their oppression. Then the people bowed down
and did obeisance.
And after these things Moyses and Aaron went
in to Pharao and said to him, “This is what the
5
Lord, the God of Israel, says, ‘Send away my people
so that they may celebrate a feast to me in the
wilderness.’ “ 2 And Pharao said, “Who is this
whose voice I shall listen to so that I send away the
sons of Israel? I do not know the Lord, and I am
not sending Israel away!” 3 And they say to him,
“The God of the Hebrews has summoned us. We
will travel then a three days’ journey into the
wilderness in order to sacrifice to our God, lest
death or murder meet us.” 4 And the king of Egypt
said to them, “Moyses and Aaron, why are you diverting my people from their tasks? Each of you, go
back to his tasks.” 5 And Pharao said, “Look, the
people of the land now are very numerous. Therefore, let us not give them relief from their tasks.”
6 Then Pharao instructed the people’s taskmasters
and recorders, saying, 7 “No longer will straw continue to be given to the people for brick-making, as
it was yesterday and the third day. Let them go
themselves and gather straw for themselves. 8 And
the levy of brick-making that they themselves
make each day, you shall impose on them; you
shall not remove anything. For they have spare
time! For this reason they have cried out, saying,
‘Let us go and offer sacrifice to our God.’ 9 Let the
tasks of these people be made heavy, and let them
be preoccupied with these things and let them not
be preoccupied by empty words.”
10 Then the taskmasters and recorders kept urging them on and telling the people, saying, “This is
what Pharao says, ‘I am no longer giving you straw.
11 As you yourselves go, gather for yourselves straw
wherever you may find it, for nothing is being removed from your levy.’ “ 12 And the people were
scattered in the whole of Egypt to gather stubble
for straw. 13 Now the taskmasters kept urging them
on, saying, “Complete the customary tasks daily
even as when the straw was being given to you.”
14 And the recorders of the race of the sons of Israel, who had been set over them by the overseers of
Pharao, were beaten, saying, “Why did you not finish your levies of brick-making, just as yesterday
and the third day, also today?”
15 Then the recorders of the sons of Israel, they
came in and cried out to Pharao, saying, “Why are
you acting like this to your domestics? 16 Straw is
not being given to your domestics, and they tell us
to make the brick, and look, your servants have
been beaten. So you will treat your people unjustly.” 17 And he said to them, “You have spare time;
you are men of leisure! For this reason you say, ‘Let
us go; let us offer sacrifice to our God.’ 18 Now then,
go, and get to work! For the straw shall not be
given to you, and you shall deliver the levy of
brick-making.” 19 Now the recorders of the sons of
Israel were seeing themselves in difficulties, because they were saying, “You shall not come short
of the customary amount of brick-making daily.”
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exodus 5–7
20 Now
they met Moyses and Aaron coming to
meet them, as they were going out from Pharao,
21 and they said to them, “May God see you and
judge, because you have made our smell loathsome before Pharao and before his attendants, to
put a sword into his hands to kill us.”
22 Then Moyses turned to the Lord and said,
“Lord, why did you harm this people? And why
have you sent me? 23 Even from the time when I
have gone in to Pharao to speak in your name, he
has harmed this people, and you have not delivered your people.”
And the Lord said to Moyses, “Now you shall
see what I will do to Pharao. For by a mighty
6
hand he will send them away, and by a raised arm
he will drive them out of his land.”
2 Then God spoke to Moyses and said to him,
“I am the Lord, 3 and I appeared to Abraam and
Isaak and Iakob, being their God, and my name,
Lord, I did not make known to them. 4 Also, I established my covenant with them in order to give
them the land of the Chananites, the land of their
sojourning, in which they also lived as sojourners
on it. 5 And I listened to the groaning of the sons of
Israel, those whom the Egyptians are making into
slaves, and I remembered your covenant. 6 Go! Tell
the sons of Israel, saying, ‘I am the Lord, and I will
bring you out from the domination of the Egyptians, and I will deliver you from slavery, and I will
redeem you by a raised arm and great judgment.
7 And I will take you for myself, as my people, and
I will be your God, and you shall know that I am
the Lord, your God, who brought you out from the
oppression of the Egyptians. 8 And I will bring you
into the land for which I stretched out my hand to
give it to Abraam and Isaak and Iakob, and I will
give it to you by allotment. I am the Lord.’ “ 9 Then
Moyses spoke in this way to the sons of Israel, and
they did not listen to Moyses because of discouragement and the hard tasks.
10 Then the Lord spoke to Moyses, saying,
11 “Go in, tell Pharao, king of Egypt, to send away
the sons of Israel from his land.” 12 Then Moyses
spoke before the Lord, saying, “Look, the sons of
Israel did not listen to me, and how will Pharao listen to me? Now, I am without eloquence.” 13 But
the Lord spoke to Moyses and Aaron and gave
them instructions for Pharao, king of Egypt, that
he send the sons of Israel away from the land of
Egypt.
14 And these are the chiefs of the households of
their ancestral lineages: sons of Rouben, firstborn
of Israel: Henoch and Phallous, Hasron and Charmi. This is the family of Rouben. 15 And sons of
Symeon: Iemouel and Iamin and Oad and Iachin
and Saar and Saoul, the son of the Phoenician.
These are the paternal lineages of the sons of Symeon. 16 And these are the names of the sons of Leui
according to their families: Gedson and Kaath and
Merari. And the years of Leui’s life were one hundred thirty-seven. 17 And these are sons of Gedson:
Lobeni and Semei, households of their paternal lineage. 18 And sons of Kaath: Amram and Isaar, Che-
55
bron and Oziel. And the years of Kaath’s life were
one hundred thirty years. 19 And sons of Merari:
Mooli and Omousi. These are the households of
Leui’s ancestral lineages according to their families.
20 And Amram took Iochabed, the daughter of his
father’s brother, for his own wife, and she bore him
both Aaron and Moyses and Mariam, their sister.
Now the years of Amram’s life were one hundred
thirty-six years. 21 And sons of Isaar: Kore and
Napheg and Zechri. 22 And sons of Oziel: Misael
and Elisaphan and Setri. 23 Now Aaron took Elisabe, daughter of Aminadab, sister of Naasson, for
his wife, and she bore him Nadab and Abioud and
Eleazar and Ithamar. 24 And sons of Kore: Asir and
Elkana and Abiasaph. These are the generations of
Kore. 25 And Eleazar, Aaron’s son, took one of the
daughters of Phoutiel for his wife, and she bore him
Phinees. These are the heads of the ancestral lineage of the Leuites, according to their generations.
26 This is Aaron and Moyses whom God told to
bring the sons of Israel out of the land of Egypt with
their host. 27 These are the ones negotiating with
Pharao, king of Egypt, and they brought the sons of
Israel out of Egypt—Aaron himself and Moyses.
28 On the day in which the Lord spoke to Moyses in the land, Egypt, 29 the Lord spoke to Moyses,
saying, “I am the Lord. Say to Pharao, king of
Egypt, what I am saying to you.” 30 And Moyses
said before the Lord, “Look, I am weak-voiced, and
how will Pharao listen to me?”
And the Lord spoke to Moyses, saying, “Look,
I have given you as a god to Pharao, and
7
Aaron, your brother, shall be your prophet. Now
2
you shall speak to him all things that I command
you, and Aaron, your brother, shall tell Pharao so
that he sends the sons of Israel away from his land.
3 But I will harden Pharao’s heart, and I will multiply my signs and wonders in the land, Egypt. 4 And
Pharao shall not listen to you, and I will lay my
hand upon Egypt, and I will bring out with my
host my people, the sons of Israel, from the land of
Egypt with great vengeance. 5 And all the Egyptians
shall know that I am the Lord, when I stretch out
the hand against Egypt, and I shall bring the sons
of Israel out from their midst.” 6 And Moyses and
Aaron did just as the Lord commanded them; so
they did. 7 Now Moyses was eighty years old, but
Aaron, his brother, was eighty-three years old,
when he spoke to Pharao.
8 And the Lord spoke to Moyses and Aaron,
saying, 9 “And if Pharao should speak to you, saying, ‘Give us a sign or wonder,’ you also shall say to
Aaron, your brother, ‘Take the rod, and throw it
upon the ground before Pharao and before his attendants, and it will be a dragon.’ “ 10 Now Moyses
and Aaron went in before Pharao and his attendants and did so just as the Lord commanded
them. And Aaron threw down the rod before
Pharao and before his attendants, and it became a
dragon. 11 And Pharao summoned the experts of
Egypt and the sorcerers, and they also, the enchanters of the Egyptians, did likewise by their
magical potions. 12 And each one threw down his
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56
rod, and they became dragons, and the rod of
Aaron swallowed the rods of those people. 13 And
the heart of Pharao prevailed, and he did not listen
to them, just as the Lord spoke to them.
14 Now the Lord said to Moyses, “The heart of
Pharao is weighed down so as not to send away the
people. 15 Go to Pharao in the morning. Look, he
himself is going out to the water, and you shall
stand, meeting him on the bank of the river, and the
rod that was turned into a snake you shall take in
your hand. 16 And you shall say to him, ‘The Lord,
the God of the Hebrews, has sent me to you, saying,
“Send away my people so that they may serve me in
the wilderness.” And look, you did not listen up to
this point. 17 This is what the Lord says, “By this you
shall know that I am the Lord. Look, with the rod
that is in my hand I am about to strike upon the
water that is in the river, and it shall turn to blood.
18 And the fish that are in the river shall die, and the
river shall stink, and the Egyptians shall be unable
to drink water from the river.” ‘ “ 19 Now the Lord
said to Moyses, “Say to Aaron, your brother, ‘Take
your rod, and stretch out the hand over the waters of
Egypt and over their rivers and over their canals and
over their marshes and over all their accumulated
water, and they shall be blood.’ “ And blood occurred in all the land of Egypt, both in things made
from wood and things made from stone.
20 And Moyses and Aaron did so just as the
Lord commanded them, and Aaron lifted it up and
with his rod struck the water that was in the river
before Pharao and before his attendants, and all
the water in the river turned into blood. 21 And the
fish in the river died, and the river stank, and the
Egyptians could not drink water from the river,
and there was blood in the whole land of Egypt.
22 But also the Egyptians’ enchanters did likewise
with their magical potions. And Pharao’s heart was
hardened, and he did not listen to them, just as the
Lord said. 23 And Pharao turned and went into his
house, and he did not put his mind even to this.
24 Now all the Egyptians dug around the river so
that they might drink water, and they could not
drink water from the river.
25 And seven days were completed after the
Lord struck the river.
Then the Lord said to Moyses, “Go in to
Pharao, and you will say to him, ‘This is what
8
the Lord says: Send away my people so that they
may serve me. 2 But if you are unwilling to send
them away, look, I am going to strike all your borders with frogs. 3 And the river shall vomit frogs,
and when they come up, they shall enter into your
houses and into the secret places of your bedrooms and upon your beds and into the houses of
your attendants and your people and in your bread
dough and in your ovens. 4 And upon you and
upon your attendants and upon your people the
frogs shall come up.’ “ 5 Then the Lord said to Moyses, “Say to Aaron, your brother, ‘Stretch out by
hand your rod over the rivers and over the canals
aPerhaps
earth
and over the marshes, and bring up the frogs.’ “
6 And Aaron stretched out the hand over the waters
of Egypt and brought up the frogs. And the frog
was made to come up and covered the land of
Egypt. 7 But also the Egyptians’ enchanters did likewise with their magical potions, and they brought
up frogs on the land of Egypt.
8 Then Pharao called Moyses and Aaron and
said, “Pray on my behalf to the Lord, and let him
take away the frogs from me and from my people,
and I will send away the people, and they may sacrifice to the Lord.” 9 Then Moyses said to Pharao,
“Arrange for me when I should pray for you and
for your attendants and your people, to remove the
frogs from you and from your people and out of
your houses—only in the river shall they remain.”
10 And he said, “Tomorrow.” He said, therefore, “As
you have said so that you may know that there is
no other except the Lord. 11 And the frogs shall be
taken away from you and out of your houses and
out of your villages and from your attendants and
from your people—only in the river shall they remain.” 12 Then Moyses and Aaron went out from
Pharao, and Moyses cried to the Lord about the
curtailing of the frogs, as he had arranged with
Pharao. 13 And the Lord did just as Moyses said,
and the frogs died from the houses and from the
villages and from the fields. 14 And they gathered
them in heaps and heaps, and the land stank.
15 But when Pharao saw that respite had occurred,
his heart was weighed down, and he did not listen
to them, just as the Lord said.
16 Then the Lord said to Moyses, “Say to Aaron:
‘Stretch out by hand your rod, and strike the levees
of earth, and there shall be gnats both on people
and on quadrupeds and on the whole land of
Egypt.’ “ 17 Aaron, therefore, stretched out by hand
the rod and struck the levees of the earth, and the
gnats were both on people and on quadrupeds, and
in every levee of the earth, the gnats were in all the
land of Egypt. 18 But also the enchanters did likewise with their magical potions to produce the
gnat, and they could not. And the gnats were both
on people and on quadrupeds. 19 The enchanters,
therefore, said to Pharao, “This is the finger of
God!” And Pharao’s heart was hardened, and he
did not listen to them, just as the Lord said.
20 Then the Lord said to Moyses, “Rise early in
the morning, and stand before Pharao. Look, he
himself will go out to the water, and you will say to
him, ‘This is what the Lord says: Send away my people so that they may serve me. 21 But if you should
be unwilling to send away my people, look, I am
going to send against you and against your attendants and against your people and against your
houses the dog-fly, and the Egyptians’ houses shall
be filled with the dog-fly, even into the land which
they are on. 22 And I will distinguish gloriously on
that day the land of Gesem, which my people are
on, whereon the dog-fly shall not be, so that you
may know that I am the Lord, the Lord of all the
landa. 23 And I will put a distinction between my
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exodus 8–9
people and between your people. Now on the morrow this sign shall be upon the land.’ “ 24 And the
Lord did so, and the dog-fly came in great numbers
into the houses of Pharao and into the houses of
his attendants and into the whole land of Egypt,
and the land was ruined as a result of the dog-fly.
25 Then Pharao summoned Moyses and
Aaron, saying, “Go, and sacrifice to your God in
the land!” 26 And Moyses said, “It cannot be so!
For we would sacrifice to the Lord our God the
abominations of the Egyptians. For if we should
sacrifice the abominations of the Egyptians before
them, we will be stoned. 27 A three days’ journey
we will go into the wilderness, and we will sacrifice
to the Lord, our God, according as he told us.”
28 And Pharao said, “I will send you away—and
sacrifice to the Lord, your God, in the wilderness,
but not far shall you proceed to go. Pray, therefore,
for me to the Lord.” 29 Then Moyses said, “Right
now I will go out from you, and I will pray to God,
and the dog-fly will depart from you and from
your attendants and your people tomorrow. Do
not add anymore, Pharao, to deceiving, so as not
to send away the people to sacrifice to the Lord.”
30 Then Moyses went out from Pharao and
prayed to God. 31 Now the Lord did as Moyses said,
and he took away the dog-fly from Pharao and
from his attendants and from his people, and not
one remained. 32 And Pharao made his heart heavy
also on this occasion, and he was unwilling to
send away the people.
Then the Lord said to Moyses, “Go in to
9
Pharao, and you shall say to him, ‘This is what
the Lord, the God of the Hebrews, says: Send away
my people so that they may serve me. 2 Yet if you
are unwilling to send away my people, but still
hold on to them, 3 look, the hand of the Lord will
be on your animals on the plains, both on the
horses and on the draft animals and on the camels
and cattle and sheep—a very great death. 4 And I
will distinguish gloriously between the animals of
the Egyptians and between the animals of the sons
of Israel. Not a thing from all the sons of Israel
shall die.’ “ 5 And God gave a limit, saying, “Tomorrow the Lord will do this thing on the land.”
6 And the Lord did this thing on the next day, and
all the Egyptians’ animals died, but from the animals of the sons of Israel nothing died. 7 But when
Pharao saw that nothing from the animals of the
sons of Israel died, Pharao’s heart became heavy,
and he did not send away the people.
8 Then the Lord spoke to Moyses and Aaron,
saying, “You take handfuls of furnace soot, and let
Moyses scatter it toward heaven before Pharao and
before his attendants. 9 And let it become a dust
cloud over all the land of Egypt, and there shall
be upon humans and quadrupeds festering
sores, oozing blisters, both on humans and on
quadrupeds and in all the land of Egypt.” 10 And he
took the furnace soot before Pharao, and Moyses
scattered it toward heaven, and festering sores,
aOr
earth
57
oozing blisters occurred both on humans and on
quadrupeds. 11 And the magicians were unable to
stand before Moyses because of the festering sores.
For the festering sores occurred on the magicians
and in the whole land of Egypt. 12 But the Lord
hardened Pharao’s heart, and he did not listen to
them, according as the Lord instructed Moyses.
13 Then the Lord said to Moyses, “Rise early in
the morning, and stand before Pharao, and you
shall say to him, ‘This is what the Lord says, the
God of the Hebrews: Send away my people so that
they may serve me. 14 For at the present time I am
sending out all my encounters into the heart of
you and your attendants and your people so that
you may know that there is no other like me in all
the landa. 15 For if now I sent my hand, I would
strike you and your people with death, and you
would be destroyed from the landa. 16 And for this
reason you have been spared in order that I might
display in you my power and in order that my
name might be proclaimed in all the landa. 17 Still
then you hold on to my people so as not to send
them away. 18 Look, I am about to rain at this hour
tomorrow very abundant hail, such as has not occurred in Egypt from the day which it was founded
until this day. 19 Now, therefore, hurry to gather
your animals and whatever belongs to you on the
plain. For all the humans and animals, whatever
should be found on the plains and should not
enter into a dwelling, but the hail should fall upon
them, shall die.’ “ 20 The one among Pharao’s attendants who feared the word of the Lord gathered
his animals into dwellings. 21 But whoever did not
pay attention with his mind to the word of the
Lord left the animals on the plain.
22 Then the Lord said to Moyses, “Stretch out
your hand toward heaven, and there shall be hail
on the whole land of Egypt, both on humans and
animals and on all herbage which is on the land.”
23Then Moyses stretched out his hand towards
heaven, and the Lord gave sounds and hail, and
fire ran about on the land, and the Lord rained hail
on the whole land of Egypt. 24Now there was hail
and fire flashing in the hail. Now the hail was very,
very abundant, such as had not occurred in Egypt
from the time when a people had come into being
upon it. 25Then hail struck in all the land of Egypt
from human to animal, and all herbage on the
plain the hail struck, and all the trees on the plains
the hail crushed. 26Only in the land, Gesem, where
the sons of Israel were, the hail did not occur.
27 Then Pharao sent and summoned Moyses
and Aaron and said to them, “Now I have sinned.
The Lord is just but I and my people are impious.
28 Therefore pray for me to the Lord, and let him
put a stop to God’s sounds and hail and fire, and I
will send you away, and you will no longer continue to stay.” 29 And Moyses said to him, “As soon as
I leave the city, I will spread out my hands to the
Lord, and the sounds will stop, and the hail and
the rain will be no more so that you may know
that the landa is the Lord’s. 30 Both you and your at-
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exodus 9–11
58
tendants—I know that you have not yet come to
fear the Lord.” 31 Now the flax and the barley were
ruined. For the barley was ripe, and the flax was
going to seed. 32 But the wheat and the spelt were
not ruined, for they were late. 33 Then Moyses went
out from Pharao outside of the city, and he spread
out hands to the Lord, and the sounds ceased, and
the hail, and the rain no longer dripped on the
land. 34 Now when Pharao saw that the rain had
ceased, and the hail and the sounds, he continued
to sin and made his heart and that of his attendants heavy. 35 And the heart of Pharao was hardened, and he did not send away the sons of Israel,
according as the Lord said to Moyses.
Then the Lord spoke to Moyses, saying, “Go
in to Pharao. For I made his heart and that
10
of his attendants heavy in order that one after another these signs might come upon them, 2 that
you may recount in the ears of your children and
to the children of your children how I mocked the
Egyptians, and my signs that I did among them,
and you will know that I am Lord.”
3 Then Moyses and Aaron went in before
Pharao and said to him, “This is what the Lord, the
God of the Hebrews, says, ‘For how long are you
unwilling to respect me? Send away my people so
that they may serve me! 4 But if you are not willing
to send away my people, look, I am bringing during this hour tomorrow a grasshopper swarm
upon all your borders. 5 And it shall cover the face
of the land, and you will not be able to see the
land, and it shall devour all the rest that remains
that the hail left for you, and it shall devour every
tree that grows for you on the land. 6 And your
houses and the houses of your attendants and all
the houses in all the land of Egypt shall be filled,
something that your fathers or their grandfathers
have never seen, from the day when they came on
the landa until this day.’ “ And Moyses turned away
and went out from Pharao.
7 Then the attendants of Pharao say to him,
“For how long will this be a stumbling-block for
us? Send away the people so that they may serve
the Lord their God. Or do you wish to know that
Egypt lies in ruins?” 8 And they brought back both
Moyses and Aaron to Pharao, and he said to them,
“Go! Serve the Lord your God. But who and who
are those that are going?” 9 And Moyses says, “With
the young and old men we will go, with our sons
and daughters and sheep and cattle, for it is the
Lord our God’s feast.” 10 And he said to them, “Let
the Lord so be with you. According as I send you, I
should not also send your chattels, should I? Take
note that wickedness lies before you. 11 Not so! But
let the men go, and you serve God! For this you
yourselves are asking.” Then they thrust them out
from the presence of Pharao.
12 Then the Lord said to Moyses, “Stretch out
the hand on the land of Egypt, and let the
grasshopper come up on the land, and it will devour all the herbage of the land and all the fruit of
aPossibly
earth
the trees, which the hail left behind.” 13 And Moyses lifted up the rod towards heaven, and the Lord
brought up a south wind upon the land that whole
day and whole night. The morning came, and the
south wind took up the grasshopper 14 and
brought it up on all the land of Egypt, and a great
many settled on all the borders of Egypt. A
grasshopper such as this had not occurred before
it, and after it there shall not be such. 15 And it covered the face of the land, and the land was ruined.
And it devoured all the herbage of the land and all
the fruit of the trees, which was left from the hail.
Nothing green was left on the trees and on all the
herbage of the plain in the whole land of Egypt.
16 Then Pharao hastened to summon Moyses and
Aaron, saying, “I have sinned before the Lord your
God and against you. 17 Therefore bear with my sin
now again, and pray to the Lord your God, and let
him take away from me this death.” 18 So Moyses
went out from Pharao and prayed to God. 19 And
the Lord turned a violent wind from the sea, and it
took up the grasshopper and threw it into the Red
Sea, and not one grasshopper was left in the whole
land of Egypt. 20 And the Lord hardened Pharao’s
heart, and he did not send away the sons of Israel.
21 Then the Lord said to Moyses, “Stretch out
the hand towards heaven, and let there be darkness
over the land of Egypt, palpable darkness.” 22 So
Moyses stretched out the hand toward heaven, and
there was darkness, gloom, hurricane, on all the
land of Egypt for three days. 23 And no one saw his
brother, and no one rose up from his bed for three
days. But for all the sons of Israel there was light in
all places where they were dwelling. 24 And Pharao
summoned Moyses and Aaron, saying, “Go! Serve
the Lord your God. Only leave behind the sheep
and cattle. And let your chattels depart with you.”
25 And Moyses said, “But you also will give us
whole burnt offerings and sacrifices that we shall
make to the Lord our God, 26 and our animals will
go with us, and we shall not leave behind a hoof.
For from them we shall take to serve the Lord our
God. But we do not know how we should worship
the Lord our God until we go there.” 27 But the
Lord hardened Pharao’s heart, and he was unwilling to send them away. 28 And Pharao says, “Depart
from me; watch out that yet again you see my face.
Now on whatever day you should appear to me,
you shall die!” 29 Then Moyses says, “You have spoken! I shall no longer appear to you in person.”
Then the Lord said to Moyses, “Still one
plague I will bring upon Pharao and upon
11
Egypt, and after these things he will send you away
from here. Now whenever he sends you away, with
everything he will expel you with expulsion.
2 Speak then secretly to the ears of the people, and
let each one ask from his neighbor and a woman
from her neighbor silver and gold articles and
clothing.” 3 Now the Lord gave favor to his people
before the Egyptians, and they supplied them. And
the man Moyses became very great before the
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exodus 11–12
Egyptians and before Pharao and before all his attendants.
4 And Moyses said, “This is what the Lord says:
Around midnight I am going to enter into the
midst of Egypt, 5 and every firstborn in the land,
Egypt, shall die, from the firstborn of Pharao, who
sits on the throne, to the firstborn of the female
slave by the millstone and to the firstborn of every
animal. 6 And there will be a great cry throughout
the whole land of Egypt, such as has not been and
such as will not again be repeated. 7 But among all
the sons of Israel a dog will not snarl with his
tongue from human being to animal in order that
you might know by what means the Lord shall distinguish gloriously between the Egyptians and Israel. 8 And all these servants of yours shall come
down to me and do obeisance before me, saying,
‘Leave, you and all your people, whom you are
leading away,’ and after these things I will go out.”
Then Moyses went out from Pharao with wrath.
9 Then the Lord said to Moyses, “Pharao will
not listen to you in order that I may multiply my
signs and wonders in the land, Egypt.” 10 So Moyses and Aaron did all these signs and wonders in
the land, Egypt, before Pharao. But the Lord hardened Pharao’s heart, and he was unwilling to send
away the sons of Israel from the land of Egypt.
Then the Lord spoke to Moyses and Aaron
in the land, Egypt, saying: This month
12
shall be for you the beginning of months; it is first
2
for you among the months of the year. 3 Speak to
the whole congregation of the sons of Israel, saying, “On the tenth of this month let them take,
each person, a sheep according to the paternal
houses, a sheep for each household. 4 But if those
in the household are too few so that they are not
enough for a sheep, he shall join with himself his
nearby neighbor according to the number of souls;
you, each one, shall number together that which is
sufficient for a sheep. 5 You shall have a perfect
sheep, a one-year-old male. You shall take from the
lambs and kids. 6 And it shall be kept for you until
the fourteenth of this month, and all the multitude
of the congregation of the sons of Israel shall slay
it towards evening. 7 And they shall take some of
the blood and shall put it on the two doorposts
and on the lintel in the houses whichever they eat
them in. 8 And they shall eat the meat this night,
roasted in fire, and they shall eat unleavened bread
with bitter herbs. 9 You shall not eat from it raw or
boiled in water but rather roasted in fire, head with
the feet and inner organs. 10 You shall not leave any
of it until morning, and you shall not break a bone
of it. But that which remains from it until morning, you shall burn with fire. 11 Now in this way you
shall eat it: your loins girded and your sandals on
your feet and your staves in your hands. And you
shall eat it with haste—it is the Lord’s pascha.
12 And I will pass through in the land, Egypt, on
this night, and I will strike down every firstborn in
the land, Egypt, from human being to animal, and
aAram/Heb
= resident alien
59
on all the gods of the Egyptians I will execute
vengeance. I am the Lord. 13 And the blood shall be
for you as a sign on the houses, there where you
are, and I will see the blood, and I will protect you,
and there shall not be a plague among you to destroy, whenever I strike in the land, Egypt.
14 And this day shall be a memorial for you,
and you shall celebrate it as a feast to the Lord
throughout your generations. You shall celebrate it
as a perpetual precept. 15 For seven days you shall
eat unleavened bread, but from the first day you
shall remove leaven from your houses. Everyone,
whoever eats leaven, that soul shall be destroyed
from Israel, from the first day until the seventh day.
16 And the first day shall be called holy, and the
seventh day shall be designated holy for you. No
work of service shall be done on them, except what
shall be done for every soul; this only shall be
done for you. 17 And you shall keep this commandment. For on this day I will bring your host
out of the land of Egypt, and you shall make this
day throughout your generations a perpetual precept. 18 When the first month begins, on the fourteenth day, from the evening you shall eat unleavened bread until the twenty-first day of the month
until the evening. 19 For seven days leaven shall not
be found in your houses. Everyone, whoever eats
something leavened, that soul shall be destroyed
from the congregation of Israel both among the
giorasa and the natives of the land. 20 Anything
leavened you shall not eat; in every habitation of
yours you shall eat unleavened bread.”
21 Then Moyses summoned the entire elders’
council of Israel and said to them, “When you go
away, take for yourselves a sheep according to your
families and sacrifice the pascha. 22 And you shall
take a bunch of hyssop, and dipping from the
blood by the door, you shall also touch the lintel
and on both doorposts, from the blood that is by
the door. But you, each one, shall not go out the
door of his house until morning. 23 And the Lord
will pass by to strike the Egyptians, and he will see
the blood upon the lintel and on both doorposts,
and the Lord will pass by the door, and he will not
allow the destroyer to enter into your houses to
strike. 24 And you shall keep this word as a precept
for yourself and your sons forever. 25 Now when
you come into the land whichever the Lord gives
you, according as he said, you shall observe this
service. 26 And it shall be if your sons shall say to
you, ‘What is this service?’ 27 then you shall say to
them, ‘This pascha is a sacrifice to the Lord who
protected the houses of the sons of Israel in Egypt
when he struck the Egyptians, but our houses he
preserved.’ “ And the people bent down and did
obeisance.
28 And when they went away, the sons of Israel did as the Lord commanded Moyses and Aaron;
so they did.
29 Now it happened during the middle of the
night that the Lord struck every firstborn in the
land, Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharao who sits
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upon the throne, to the firstborn of the female captive who is in the pit, even to the firstborn of every
animal. 30 And Pharao arose during the night and
all his attendants and all the Egyptians, and there
was a great cry in all the land of Egypt. For there
was not a house which had no dead person in it.
31 And Pharao summoned Moyses and Aaron during the night and he said to them, “Arise, and go
out from my people, both you and the sons of Israel. Go! Serve the Lord your God according as you
say. 32 Take both your sheep and cattle, and get
going, but bless me too.”
33 And the Egyptians were forcing the people,
to throw them out of the land quickly. For they
said, “We are all dying!” 34 Now the people took
the dough before it was leavened, their kneaded
mixtures wrapped in their clothes on their shoulders. 35 And the sons of Israel did as Moyses instructed them and asked from the Egyptians silver
and gold articles and clothing. 36 And the Lord gave
favor to his people before the Egyptians, and they
supplied them, and they plundered the Egyptians.
37 Now the sons of Israel marched from
Ramesses to Sokchotha; the men were about six
hundred thousand foot soldiers, apart from the
chattels. 38 And a great, mixed crowd went up with
them, and sheep and oxen, even a great many animals. 39 And they baked the dough that they
brought from Egypt, unleavened bread baked in
ashes, for it was not leavened. For the Egyptians
had thrown them out, and they were unable to remain, nor did they make provision for themselves
for the journey.
40 Now the residence of the sons of Israel during which they dwelt in the land, Egypt, and in the
land of Chanaan was four hundred and thirty
years. 41 And it happened after four hundred and
thirty years that all the host of the Lord went out
from the land of Egypt during the night. 42 It is a
vigil for the Lord so that he might bring them out
of the land of Egypt. That night is this vigil for the
Lord so that it might be for all the sons of Israel
throughout their generations.
43 Then the Lord spoke to Moyses and Aaron,
saying: This is the law of the pascha. No alien shall
eat of it. 44And any domestic of anyone or purchased slave you shall circumcise him, and then he
shall eat of it. 45 A resident alien or hired person
shall not eat of it. 46 In one house it shall be eaten;
you shall not take any of the meat outside of the
house, and you shall not break a bone of it. 47 The
entire congregation of the sons of Israel shall do
this. 48 But if any guest should draw near to you to
keep the pascha to the Lord, you shall circumcise
every male of his, and then he shall draw near to
keep it, and he shall be like a native of the land.
No uncircumcised person shall eat of it. 49 There
shall be one law for the local inhabitant and for
the guest among you who has drawn near.
50 And the sons of Israel did just as the Lord
commanded Moyses and Aaron for them; so they
did. 51 And it happened on that day the Lord
brought the sons of Israel out of the land of Egypt
together with their host.
Then the Lord spoke to Moyses, saying:
13
Consecrate to me every firstborn, firstproduced, opening every womb among the sons of
2
Israel, from human being to animal. It’s mine!
3 Then Moyses said to the people, “Keep remembering this day in which you came out of
Egypt, from a house of slavery. For by a mighty
hand the Lord brought you out from there. And
leaven shall not be eaten. 4 For on this very day you
are going out in the month of the new things.
5 And it shall be whenever the Lord your God
brings you into the land of the Chananites and
Chettites and Heuites and Gergesites and Amorrites and Pherezites and Iebousites, which he
swore to your fathers to give you, a land flowing
with milk and honey, you shall also perform this
service in this month. 6 For six days you shall eat
unleavened bread, but on the seventh day there is
the Lord’s feast. 7 Unleavened bread you shall eat
for the seven days. Anything leavened shall not be
seen among you, nor shall you possess leaven in
all your borders. 8 And you shall tell your son on
that day, saying, ‘For this reason the Lord God
acted for me when I was going out of Egypt.’ 9 And
it shall be a sign for you on your hand and a memorial before your eyes in order that the law of the
Lord might be in your mouth. For with a mighty
hand the Lord brought you out of Egypt. 10 And
you shall keep this law according to the times of
the seasons from days to days.
11 “And it shall be whenever the Lord your God
brings you into the land of the Chananites, in the
manner which he swore to your fathers, and he
gives it to you, 12 you shall also set apart everything
opening the womb, the males, for the Lord. Everything opening the womb from the herds or among
your animals, whatever belongs to you, you shall
consecrate the males to the Lord. 13 Everything
opening the womb of a donkey you will exchange
for a sheep. But if you do not make an exchange,
you shall redeem it. Every firstborn of a human
being among your sons you shall redeem. 14 Now
if your son should ask you afterward, saying, ‘What
is this?’ you shall also say to him, ‘With a mighty
hand the Lord brought us out of the land of Egypt,
from a house of slavery. 15 But when Pharao hardened against sending us away, he killed every firstborn in the land, Egypt, from the firstborn of
human beings to the firstborn of animals. Therefore, I am sacrificing to the Lord everything opening the womb, the males, and I will redeem every
firstborn of my sons.’ 16 And it shall be for a sign on
your hand and immovable before your eyes. For
with a mighty hand the Lord brought you out of
Egypt.”
17 Now when Pharao sent away the people,
God did not lead them the way of the land of the
Phylistiim, because it was near. For God said, “Lest
there be regret by the people when they see war
and they return to Egypt.” 18 And God led the people a roundabout way towards the wilderness, towards the Red Sea. Now in the fifth generation the
sons of Israel went up out of the land of Egypt.
19 And Moyses took the bones of Ioseph with him.
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exodus 13–15
For Ioseph made the sons of Israel swear an oath,
saying, “With a concern the Lord will concern himself with you, and you shall bring my bones there
with you.” 20 Then the sons of Israel, when they departed from Sokchoth, camped at Othom on the
edge of the wilderness. 21 Now God was leading
them, by day by a pillar of cloud to show them the
way but during the night by a pillar of fire. 22 The
pillar of cloud during the day and the pillar of fire
by night did not depart from before all the people.
And the Lord spoke to Moyses, saying:
14
Speak to the sons of Israel, and when they
turn back, let them camp opposite the village be2
tween Magdolos and between the sea, opposite
Beelsepphon. Before them you shall camp by the
sea. 3 And Pharao will say to his people, “These
sons of Israel are wandering in the land. For the
wilderness has closed in on them.” 4 Now I will
harden Pharao’s heart, and he will pursue after
them. And I will be glorified in Pharao and in all
his army, and all the Egyptians shall know that I
am the Lord. And they did so.
5 And it was reported to the king of the Egyptians that the people had escaped. And the heart of
Pharao and his attendants was turned against the
people, and they said, “What is this we have done,
sending away the sons of Israel so they are not subject to us?” 6 Then Pharao hitched up his chariots
and led away all his people together with him,
7 and he took six hundred choice chariots and all
the cavalry of the Egyptians and the third-ranked
officers over all of them. 8 And the Lord hardened
the heart of Pharao, king of Egypt, and he pursued
after the sons of Israel. Now the sons of Israel were
leaving with a high hand. 9 And the Egyptians pursued after them and found them encamped by the
sea, and all the cavalry and chariots of Pharao and
the horsemen and his army were opposite the village, opposite Beelsepphon.
10 And Pharao advanced. And when they
looked up, the sons of Israel saw with their eyes,
and the Egyptians encamped behind them, and
they were very afraid. Then the sons of Israel cried
out to the Lord. 11 And they said to Moyses, “Because there were not graves in the land, Egypt did
you bring us out to put us to death in this wilderness? What is this you have done to us, bringing us
out of Egypt? 12 Was this not the matter that we told
you in Egypt, saying, ‘Leave us alone in order that
we might be subject to the Egyptians?’ For it was
better for us to be subject to the Egyptians than to
die in this wilderness.” 13 But Moyses said to the
people, “Take courage! Stand, and see the deliverance from God that he will perform for you today.
For as you have seen the Egyptians today, you shall
not ever again see them time without end. 14 The
Lord will fight for you, and you will be quiet.”
15 Then the Lord said to Moyses, “Why are you
crying out to me? Speak to the sons of Israel, and
let them break camp. 16 And you, raise your rod,
and stretch out your hand over the sea, and break
it apart, and let the sons of Israel enter into the
midst of the sea on what was dry. 17 And look, I will
61
harden the heart of Pharao and all the Egyptians,
and they will enter in after them. And I will be glorified in Pharao and in all his army and in his chariots and in his horses. 18 And all the Egyptians shall
know that I am the Lord, as I am being glorified in
Pharao and in his chariots and his horses.”
19 Then the angel of God, who was going before the camp of the sons of Israel, rose up and
went behind. Now the pillar of cloud also rose up
from before them and stood behind them. 20 And
it went in between the camp of the Egyptians and
between the camp of Israel. And there was darkness and gloom, and the night elapsed, and they
did not mix together with one another during the
whole night.
21 But Moyses stretched out the hand over the
sea, and the Lord drew off the sea by a strong south
wind during the whole night, and he made the sea
dry, and the water was divided. 22 And the sons of
Israel entered into the midst of the sea on the dry
ground, and the water became a wall for them on
the right and a wall on the left. 23 Then the Egyptians pursued, and all the cavalry of Pharao and
the chariots and the riders went in after them into
the midst of the sea. 24 And it happened in the
early morning watch that the Lord looked at the
camp of the Egyptians in the pillar of fire and
cloud, and he threw the camp of the Egyptians into
disarray. 25 And he bound together the axles of
their chariots and led them violently. And the
Egyptians said, “Let us flee from Israel! For the
Lord fights the Egyptians for them!”
26 Then the Lord said to Moyses, “Stretch out
your hand over the sea, and let the water return
and cover up the Egyptians, both the chariots and
the riders.” 27 So Moyses stretched out the hand
over the sea, and the water returned near day to its
place. Now the Egyptians fled under the water, and
the Lord shook off the Egyptians in the middle of
the sea. 28 And when the water had returned, it covered the chariots and riders and all the host of
Pharao that had entered after them into the sea.
Not even one of them remained! 29 But the sons of
Israel went across dry ground in the midst of the
sea, and the water was for them a wall on the right
and a wall on the left.
30 And the Lord rescued Israel in that day from
the hand of the Egyptians. And Israel saw the Egyptians dead along the shore of the sea. 31 So Israel
saw the great hand, which things the Lord had
done to the Egyptians. And the people feared the
Lord and trusted God and Moyses, his attendant.
Moyses and the sons of Israel sang
this song to God and spoke, saying,
15“LetThen
us sing to the Lord, for gloriously he
2
3
has glorified himself;
horse and rider he threw into the sea.
Helper and defender he has become to me,
for deliverance;
this is my God, and I will glorify him;
my father’s God, and I will exalt him.
The Lord, when he shatters wars,
the Lord is his name.
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6
7
8
9
10
11
12
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exodus 15–16
62
4
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“The chariots of Pharao and his host he
threw into the sea;
choice riders, third-ranked officers, he
drowned in the Red Sea.
With open sea he covered them;
they sank down into the deep like stone.
Your right hand, O Lord, has been glorified
in power;
your right hand, O Lord, crushed
enemies.
And in the abundance of your glory you
shattered the adversaries;
you sent your anger, and it consumed
them like stubble.
And through the breath of your wrath the
water separated;
the waters were congealed like a wall;
the waves were congealed in the midst of
the sea.
The enemy said, ‘In pursuit I will overtake;
I will divide spoils; I will satisfy my soul;
I will destroy with my dagger; my hand
shall dominate.’
You sent your breatha; the sea covered them;
they sank like lead in violent water.
“Who is like you among the gods, O Lord?
Who is like you, glorified among holy
ones,
awesome in glorious deeds, doing
wonders?
You extended your right hand;
the earth swallowed them.
13
“You led by your righteousness this people
of yours whom you redeemed;
you summoned by your power into your
holy abode.
14
Nations heard and became angry;
pangs seized those dwelling among the
Phylistiim.
15
Then leaders of Edom made haste.
And rulers of the Moabites, trembling
seized them;
all those inhabiting Chanaan melted
away.
16
May fear and trembling fall upon them;
by the greatness of your arm let them be
turned into stone
until your people should pass by, O Lord,
until this people of yours, whom you
acquired, should pass by.
17
Lead them in, and plant them in the
mountain of your inheritance,
in your prepared dwelling place that you
made, O Lord,
a holy precinct, O Lord, that your hands
prepared.
18
The Lord, ruling forever and ever and
beyond.”
19 Because the cavalry of Pharao together with
chariots and riders went into the sea, the Lord also
aOr
wind
brought the water of the sea upon them, but the
sons of Israel walked through dry land in the midst
of the sea.
20 Then Mariam, the prophetess, the sister of
Aaron, took the tambourine in her hand, and all
the women went out after her with tambourines
and dances. 21 And Mariam took their lead, saying:
“Let us sing to the Lord, for gloriously he
has glorified himself.
Horse and rider he threw into the sea.”
22 Then Moyses removed the sons of Israel
from the Red Sea and led them into the wilderness
of Sour. And they were journeying for three days in
the wilderness and were not finding water to drink.
23 And they came to Merra and could not drink
water from Merra, for it was bitter. Therefore the
name of that place was called Bitterness. 24 And the
people were complaining against Moyses, saying,
“What shall we drink?” 25 Then Moyses cried to the
Lord, and the Lord showed him wood, and he
threw it into the water, and the water became
sweet. There he set for him statutes and judgments,
and there he tested him. 26 And he said, “If you by
paying attention listen to the voice of the Lord,
your God, and do before him pleasing things, and
give ear to his commandments, and keep all his
statutes, every disease which I brought upon the
Egyptians, I will not bring upon you. For I am the
Lord who heals you.”
27 And they came to Ailim, and twelve springs
of water and seventy date palm trunks were there.
And they camped there by the waters.
And they set out from Ailim, and the entire
congregation of the sons of Israel came to
16
the wilderness of Sin, which is between Ailim and
between Sina. And on the fifteenth day, in the second month, after they had gone out from the land
of Egypt, 2 the entire congregation of the sons of Israel was complaining against Moyses and Aaron,
3 and the sons of Israel said to them, “If only we
had died, struck by the Lord, in the land, Egypt,
when we sat at the cauldrons of meat and were eating bread to the full, because you led us out into
this wilderness to kill all this congregation by
famine.”
4 Then the Lord said to Moyses, “Look, I am
going to rain bread from heaven for you, and the
people shall go out, and they shall collect the day’s
portion for a day so that I might test them whether
they will walk by my law or not. 5 And it shall be
on the sixth day, and they shall prepare whatever
they bring in, and it shall be double whatever they
gather together daily for a day.” 6 Then Moyses and
Aaron said to the entire congregation of the sons
of Israel, “At evening you shall know that the Lord
brought you out of the land of Egypt, 7 and in the
morning you shall see the glory of the Lord, when
he heard your complaining against God. But we,
what are we that you complain against us?” 8 And
Moyses said, “When the Lord gives you meat in the
evening to eat and bread in the morning to the
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exodus 16–17
full, because the Lord heard your complaining
which you complain against us, then we, what are
we? For not against us is your complaining, but
rather against God.”
9 And Moyses said to Aaron, “Say to the entire
congregation of the sons of Israel: Draw near before God. For he has heard your complaining.”
10 And when Aaron was speaking to the entire congregation of the sons of Israel, they also turned
about towards the wilderness, and the glory of the
Lord appeared in a cloud. 11 And the Lord spoke to
Moyses, saying, 12 “I have heard the complaining of
the sons of Israel. Speak to them, saying: Towards
evening you shall eat meat, and in the morning
you shall be filled with bread. And you shall know
that I am the Lord, your God.”
13 So evening came, and quaila came up and
covered the camp. Then morning came, when the
dew was lifting around the camp, 14 and look,
upon the surface of the wilderness was something
fine like coriander, white like frost on the ground.
15 And when they saw it, the sons of Israel said one
to the other, “What is this?” For they did not know
what it was. Then Moyses said to them, “This is the
bread that the Lord has given you to eat. 16 This is
the word that the Lord instructed, ‘Each person,
gather from it for those appropriate; a gomorb per
head, according to the number of your souls, each
of you with your tent mates collect.’ “ 17 And the
sons of Israel did so, and they collected, the one
much and the other less. 18 And they measured by
the gomorb. The one with much did not have excess, and the one with less did not have too little.
Each person collected for those appropriate at his
own home. 19 Then Moyses said to them, “Let no
one leave any of it to the morning.” 20 And they did
not listen to Moyses, but certain ones left some of
it to the morning. And it bred worms and stank,
and Moyses was irritated with them. 21 And they
collected it morning by morning, each person that
which was appropriate for him. But when the sun
grew hot, it melted.
22 But it happened on the sixth day, they collected double what was required, two gomorsb for
one person. And all the leaders of the congregation
went in and reported to Moyses. 23 And Moyses
said to them, “This is the word that the Lord spoke:
Tomorrow is Sabbata, a rest holy to the Lord.
Whatever you bake, bake, and whatever you boil,
boil. And all the excess, leave it in storage until the
morning.” 24 And they left some of it until the
morning, according as Moyses instructed them.
And it did not stink, nor was there a worm in it.
25 And Moyses said, “Eat today! For today is Sabbata to the Lord. It will not be found on the plain.
26 Six days you will collect, but on the seventh day
is Sabbata. There will be none in it.”
27 And it happened on the seventh day, certain
of the people went out to collect, and they found
none. 28 Then the Lord said to Moyses, “For how
long are you unwilling to listen to my commandments and my law? 29 See! For the Lord has given
aOr
a quail-like migrating bird
bHeb
63
you this day, the sabbaths. Therefore he gave you
on the sixth day bread for two days. Sit, each person, in your houses; let no one go out from his
place on the seventh day.” 30 And the people sabbatized on the seventh day.
31 And the sons of Israel called its name Man.
Now it was white like coriander seed, but its taste
was like cake with honey. 32 Then Moyses said,
“This is the word that the Lord instructed: Fill the
gomorb with Man for deposit for your generations
in order that they might see the bread that you ate
in the wilderness, how the Lord brought you out
from the land of Egypt.” 33 And Moyses said to
Aaron, “Take one golden jar, and place in it the gomorb full of Man, and you will put it away before
God for preservation for your generations.” 34 As
the Lord instructed Moyses, Aaron also put it away
before the witness for preservation. 35 Now the
sons of Israel ate Man for forty years until they
came into inhabited land. They ate Man until they
came near to the region of Phoenicia. 36 Now the
gomorb was a tenth of three measures.
And the entire congregation of the sons of
17
Israel set out from the wilderness of Sin according to their encampments by the word of the
Lord, and they camped at Raphidin. But there was
not water for the people to drink. 2 And the people
were railing against Moyses, saying, “Give us water
so that we may drink!” And Moyses said to them,
“Why are you railing at me, and why are you testing the Lord?” 3 But the people thirsted there for
water, and the people kept complaining against
Moyses, saying, “Why is it that you brought us up
from Egypt to kill us and our children and animals
with thirst?” 4 Then Moyses cried out to the Lord,
saying, “What shall I do with this people? A little
while yet and they will stone me!” 5And the Lord
said to Moyses, “Go on ahead of this people, but
take with you some of the elders of the people and
the rod with which you struck the river take in your
hand, and go. 6 I here have taken my stand, before
you came, on the rock at Choreb. And you shall
strike the rock, and water will come out of it, and
the people will drink.” And Moyses did so before
the sons of Israel. 7 And he called the name of that
place Testing and Raillery because of the railing of
the sons of Israel and because they tested the Lord,
saying, “Is the Lord among us or not?”
8 Then Amalek came and was fighting Israel at
Raphidin. 9 And Moyses said to Iesous, “Choose for
yourself capable men, and go forth, and set up in
battle array with Amalek tomorrow. And look, I
stand on top of the hill, and the rod of God is in
my hand.” 10 And Iesous did as Moyses said to him
and set up in battle array with Amalek, and Moyses and Aaron and Hor went up onto the top of the
hill. 11 And it happened whenever Moyses held up
his hands, Israel was prevailing, and whenever he
lowered his hands, Amalek was prevailing. 12 But
Moyses’ hands were heavy. And they took a stone
and put it under him, and he sat on it. And Aaron
1 omer = 2 liters; Heb 1 homer = 220 liters
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64
and Hor kept supporting his hands, here one and
there one. And the hands of Moyses were supported until the setting of the sun. 13 And Iesous routed Amalek and all his people by slaughter of
dagger.
14 Then the Lord said to Moyses, “Write this
down for a memorial in a book, and put into the
ears of Iesous that with a wipe out I will wipe out
the memorial of Amalek from what is beneath
heaven. 15 And Moyses built an altar to the Lord
and called its name “The Lord is my refugea,”
16because by a secret hand the Lord fights
against Amalek from generations to generations.
Now Iothor, the priest of Madian, Moyses’
18
father-in-law, heard all that the Lord did to
Israel, his own people. For the Lord brought Israel
out from Egypt. 2 Now Iothor, Moyses’ father-inlaw, took Sepphora, Moyses’ wife, after her dismissal, 3 and his two sons. The name of one of
them was Gersam (saying, “I was a resident alien
in a foreign land”), 4 and the name of the second,
Eliezer (“for the God of my father was my help,
and he delivered me from the hand of Pharao”).
5 And Iothor, Moyses’ father-in-law, and the sons
and wife came to Moyses in the wilderness, where
he encamped at the mountain of God. 6 And it was
reported to Moyses, saying, “Look, Iothor, your father-in-law, is coming to you, and your wife and
two sons with him.” 7 And Moyses went out for a
meeting with his father-in-law, and he did obeisance before him and kissed him, and they greeted
one another. And he led him into the tent. 8 And
Moyses recounted to his father-in-law all that the
Lord did to Pharao and the Egyptians for the sake
of Israel and all the hardship that happened to
them in the way and that the Lord delivered them
from the hand of Pharao and from the hand of the
Egyptians. 9 Now Iothor was amazed at all the
good things that the Lord did to them, thatb he delivered them from the hand of the Egyptians and
from the hand of Pharao.
10 And Iothor said, “Blessed be the Lord, because he delivered his people from the hand of the
Egyptians and from the hand of Pharao. 11 Now I
know that the Lord is great beyond all the gods, on
account of this that they attacked them.” 12 And Iothor, Moyses’ father-in-law, took whole burnt offerings and sacrifices to God. And Aaron and all
the elders of Israel came to eat bread together with
Moyses’ father-in-law before God.
13 And it happened after the morrow Moyses
sat down to judge the people. Now all the people
had stood near Moyses from morning to evening.
14 And when Iothor saw all that he was doing for
the people, he says, “What is this that you are
doing to the people? Why do you sit alone, but all
the people stand near you from morning to
evening?” 15 And Moyses says to his father-in-law,
“Because the people come to me to seek judgment
from God. 16 For whenever a dispute happens to
them and they come to me, I decide for each peraOr
My Lord is a refuge
bPerhaps
because
son, and I teach them the ordinances of God and
his law.” 17 Then Moyses’ father-in-law said to him,
18 “You are dealing with this thing incorrectly!
(18) You will be destroyed with unbearable destruction, both you and all this people who are with
you. This matter is too heavy for you—you will be
unable to do it alone. 19 Now then listen to me,
and I will advise you, and God will be with you.
You be for the people the things pertaining to God,
and you shall bring their cases to God, 20 and you
shall attest to them the ordinances of God and his
law, and you shall show them the ways that they
shall walk in and the works that they shall do.
21 And you, search for yourself from all the people
capable, god-fearing men, righteous men, who
hate arrogance, and you shall set them over them
as officers of thousands and officers of hundreds
and officers of fifties and officers of tens, 22 and
they shall judge the people every season. Now the
burdensome matter they shall bring to you, but
the smaller matters of judgment they themselves
shall judge, and they will make it easier for you,
and they will help you. 23 If you do this thing, God
will strengthen you, and you will be able to stand,
and all this people will go to their own place with
peace.”
24 Now Moyses listened to the voice of his father-in-law and did what he said to him. 25 And
Moyses chose capable men from all Israel and
made them over them officers of thousands and
officers of hundreds and officers of fifties and officers of tens. 26 And they were judging the people
every season. Now the burdensome matter they
were bringing to Moyses, but every smaller matter
they themselves were judging. 27 Then Moyses sent
away his own father-in-law, and he went away to
his country.
Now in the third month of the departure of
19
the sons of Israel from the land of Egypt on
this day they came into the wilderness of Sina.
2 And they departed from Raphidin and came into
the wilderness of Sina, and Israel camped there opposite the mountain. 3 And Moyses went onto the
mountain of God, and God called him from the
mountain, saying, “This is what you shall say to
the house of Iakob and report to the sons of Israel:
4 You yourselves have seen what I have done to the
Egyptians, and I took you up as though on eagles’
wings, and I brought you to myself. 5 And now if by
paying attention you listen to my voice and keep
my covenant, you shall be for me a people special
above all nations. For all the earth is mine. 6 And
you shall be for me a royal priesthood and a holy
nation. These words you shall say to the sons of
Israel.”
7 And Moyses went and called the elders of the
people and set before them all these words that
God instructed him. 8 And all the people with one
accord answered and said, “All that God said we
will do and heed.” Then Moyses carried the words
of the people up to God. 9 Now the Lord said to
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exodus 19–20
Moyses, “Look, I am coming to you in a pillar of
cloud in order that the people may listen while I
speak to you and they may trust you forever.”
And Moyses reported the words of the people to
the Lord. 10 And the Lord said to Moyses, “When
you go down, testify solemnly to the people, and
purify them today and tomorrow, and let them
wash their clothes, 11 and be prepared for the third
day. For on the third day the Lord will come down
upon the mountain Sina before all the people.
12 And you shall set limits for the people round
about, saying, ‘Be on your guard against going onto
the mountain and grazing it at all. Everyone who
touches the mountain shall die by death. 13 A hand
shall not touch it. For he shall be stoned with
stones or shot with an arrow. Whether animal or
whether human, it shall not live.’ Whenever the
sounds and the trumpets and the cloud leave the
mountain, they shall come up on the mountain.”
14 And Moyses went down from the mountain to
the people and consecrated them, and they washed
their clothes. 15 And he said to the people, a”Prepare
for three days. Do not go near a womana.”
16 And it happened on the third day, when it
was toward dawn, sounds and lightning and dark
cloud were occurring upon the mountain Sina; the
sound of the trumpet was ringing loudly, and all
the people in the camp were terrified. 17 And Moyses led the people out from the camp for a meeting
with God, and they stood near, below the mountain. 18 Now the mountain Sina was smoking in its
entirety, because God had come down upon it in
fire, and the smoke was rising up like the smoke of
a furnace. And all the people were very astonished.
19 Now the sounds of the trumpet, increasing, became much stronger. Moyses was speaking, and
God answered him with sound. 20 And the Lord
came down upon the mountain Sina onto the top
of the mountain, and the Lord called Moyses onto
the top of the mountain, and Moyses went up.
21 And God spoke to Moyses, saying, “Go down,
testify solemnly to the people lest they come near
to God to observe and a multitude of them should
fall. 22 And let the priests who approach God be
consecrated, lest the Lord do away with some of
them. 23 And Moyses said to God, “The people will
be unable to climb up to the mountain Sina. For
you have testified solemnly to us, saying, ‘Set a
limit to the mountain, and keep it holy.’ “ 24 Then
the Lord said to him, “Go; descend, and you and
Aaron with you come up. But do not let the priests
and people use force to come up to God, lest the
Lord destroy some of them.” 25 So Moyses went
down to the people and spoke to them.
And the Lord spoke all these words, saying:
20
I am the Lord your God who brought you
out of the land of Egypt, out of a house of slavery.
2
3 You
shall not have other gods besides me.
4 You shall not make for yourself an idol or
likeness of anything whatever is in heaven above
and whatever is in the earth beneath and whatever
aOr
Prepare. For three days do not go near a woman
65
is in the waters beneath the earth. 5 You shall not
do obeisance to them, nor are you to serve them,
for I am the Lord your God, a jealous god, repaying sins of fathers upon children up to the third
and fourth generation to those who hate me, 6 and
doing mercy unto thousands, for those who love
me and keep my ordinances.
7 You shall not take the name of the Lord your
God in vain. For the Lord will never acquit the one
who takes his name in vain.
8 Remember the day of the sabbaths to consecrate it. 9 For six days you shall labor and do all
your labor, 10 but on the seventh day there is Sabbata to the Lord your God. You shall not do in it
any labor, you and your son and your daughter,
your male slave and your female slave, your ox and
your draft animal and any animal of yours and the
guest who resides among you. 11 For in six days the
Lord made the heaven and the earth and the sea
and all things in them, and he rested on the seventh day. For this reason the Lord blessed the seventh day and consecrated it.
12 Honor your father and mother so that it
may be well with you and so that you may be longlived on the good land that the Lord your God is
giving you.
13 You shall not commit adultery.
14 You shall not steal.
15 You shall not murder.
16 You shall not testify falsely against your
neighbor with false witness.
17 You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife;
you shall not covet your neighbor’s house or his
field or his male slave or his female slave or his ox
or his draft animal or any animal of his or whatever belongs to your neighbor.
18 And all the people were perceiving the
sound and the flashes and the sound of the trumpet and the mountain smoking. Now all the people were afraid and stood at a distance. 19 And they
said to Moyses, “You speak to us, and do not let
God speak to us, lest we die.” 20 And Moyses says to
them, “Take courage! For in order to test you God
has come to you in order that his fear might be in
you so that you do not sin.” 21 Now the people
were standing at a distance, but Moyses went into
the darkness where God was.
22 And the Lord said to Moyses: This is what
you shall say to the house of Iakob and report to
the sons of Israel, “You have seen what I have spoken from heaven to you. 23 You shall not make for
yourselves silver gods, and gold gods you shall not
make for yourselves. 24 An altar of earth you shall
make for me, and you shall sacrifice on it your
whole burnt offerings and deliverance offerings,
your sheep and your bull calves in every place,
there where I pronounce my name, and I will come
to you and bless you. 25 But if you make an altar of
stones for me, you shall not build them cut. For
you have placed the tool upon it, and it has been
defiled. 26 You shall not go up by steps onto my
altar so that you do not reveal your shame upon it.
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exodus 21–22
66
And these are the statutes that you shall set
21
before them:
2 If you buy a Hebrew servant, for six years he
shall be subject to you. But in the seventh year he
shall go away a free person without obligation. 3 If
he comes in single, he shall also go out single. But
if a wife enters together with him, the wife also
shall go out with him. 4 But if the master gives him
a wife and she bears him sons or daughters, the
wife and children shall be his master’s, but he shall
go out single. 5 Now if the servant says in response,
“I have come to love my master and wife and children; I am not departing a free person,” 6 his master shall lead him to the tribunal of God, and then
he shall lead him to the door at the doorpost, and
his master shall pierce his ear with a small awl, and
he shall be subject to him forever.
7 Now if someone sells his own daughter as a
domestic slave, she shall not go away in the same
way as slave women depart. 8 If she, whom he betrothed to himself, does not please her master, he
shall cause her to be redeemed. But to a foreign nation the master is not to sell her, because he has
broken faith with her. 9 Now if he betroths her to
his son, he shall deal with her according to the
statute of daughters. 10 And if he takes another to
him, he shall not withhold her necessities and
clothing and marital rights. 11 But if he does not do
for her these three things, she shall go out without
obligation, without silver.
12 Now if someone strikes someone and he
dies, let him be put to death with death. 13 But the
one who acts unwittingly, but God delivered him
into his hands—I will give you a place, there where
the killer shall flee. 14 Now if someone attacks his
neighbor to kill him treacherously and he flees,
from my altar you shall take him to put him to
death.
15 Let the one who strikes his father or his
mother be put to death with death.
16(17) Let the one who insults his father or his
mother end with death.
17(16) Whoever steals any of the sons of Israel
and, having gained control over him, sells him,
and he be found with him, let him end with death.
18 Now if two men rail at one another and one
strikes his neighbor with a stone or fist and he
does not die but he be laid upon his bed, 19 if the
person arises and walks around outside on a rod,
the striker shall not be liable, except for his loss of
employment he shall pay compensation and for
medical treatment.
20 Now if someone strikes his male slave or his
female slave with a rod and he dies under his
hands, let him justly be punished. 21 But if he survives one day or two, he shall not be punished, for
he is his silver.
22 Now if two men fight and strike a pregnant
woman and her child comes forth not fully formed,
he shall be punished with a fine. According as the
husband of the woman might impose, he shall pay
with judicial assessment. 23 But if it is fully formed,
aOr
it
he shall pay life for life, 24 eye for eye, tooth for
tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, 25 burn for
burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.
26 Now if someone strikes the eye of his male
domestic or the eye of his female attendant and
cause blindness, he shall send them away free in
exchange for their eye. 27 Now if he knocks out the
tooth of a male domestic or the tooth of his female
attendant, he shall send them away free in exchange for their tooth.
28 Now if a bull gores a man or a woman and
he dies, the bull shall be stoned with stones, and
its meat shall not be eaten, but the owner of the
bull shall not be liable. 29 But if the bull was prone
to gore before yesterday and before the third day
and they warn its owner and he does not restrain it
and it kills a man or a woman, the bull shall be
stoned, and its owner shall die as well. 30 And if a
ransom is imposed upon him, he shall pay a ransom for his life, whatever they impose upon him.
31 But if it gores a son or a daughter, according to
this statute they shall deal with hima. 32 And if the
bull gores a male servant or female servant, he
shall give to their master thirty didrachmas of silver, and the bull shall be stoned.
33 Now if someone opens a pit or hews a pit
and does not cover it and a calf or donkey falls in
there, 34 the owner of the pit shall pay compensation. He shall give silver to their owner, but that
which is dead shall be his.
35 Now if someone’s bull gores the neighbor’s
bull and it dies, they shall sell the living bull and
divide its silver, and the dead bull they shall divide.
36 But if it is known that the bull was prone to goring before yesterday and before the third day and
they warn its owner and he does not restrain it, he
shall pay compensation, bull for bull, but the one
that died shall be his.
Now if anyone steals a calf or sheep and
22
slaughters or sells it, he shall pay five calves
in compensation for the bull calf and four sheep
for the sheep.
2 Now if the thief is found at the point of
break-in and, being beaten, dies, it is not homicide
in his case. 3 Now if the sun has risen upon him, he
is guilty. He shall die in exchange. Now if he does
not have anything let him be sold for the theft.
4 Now if he is caught and the stolen item from donkey to sheep is found in his hand alive, he shall
compensate them double.
5 Now if someone grazes a field or vineyard
and leaves his animal to graze another field, he
shall pay compensation from his field according to
its yield. But if he should graze all the field, the
best of his field or the best of his vineyard he shall
pay in compensation.
6 Now if fire breaks out and finds thorns and
burns a threshing floor or ears of grain or a plain,
the one who started the fire shall pay compensation.
7 Now if someone gives to a neighbor silver or
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exodus 22–23
goods to guard and it is stolen from the person’s
house, if the thief be found, he shall pay double
in compensation. 8 But if the thief is not found,
the owner of the house shall draw near before
God and swear that surely he himself has not
acted wickedly against the entire deposit of the
neighbor.
9 With regard to any specific injustice concerning calf and draft animal and sheep and garment
and any loss which is alleged, whatever in fact it
might be, the trial of both parties shall come before God, and the one convicted by God shall pay
double in compensation to his neighbor.
10 Now if someone gives the neighbor a draft
animal or sheep or calf or any animal to guard and
it breaks a limb or dies or becomes captive and no
one knows, 11 there shall be an oath of God between
both parties that surely he has not acted wickedly
against the entire deposit of the neighbor, and so
his owner shall accept, and he shall not at all make
compensation. 12 But if it is stolen from him, he
shall pay compensation to the owner. 13 And if it
becomes prey to wild beasts, he shall take him to
the prey and shall not pay compensation.
14 Now if someone asks from the neighbor
and it breaks a limb or dies and the owner is not
with it, he shall pay compensation. 15 But if the
owner is with it, he shall not pay compensation.
But if he be one who hired it, it shall be his in lieu
of his hire.
16 Now if someone leads astray an unbetrothed virgin and lies with her, with a bride price
he shall pay the bridal price for her as a wife for
him. 17 But if her father by refusing refuses and
does not wish to give her to him as a wife, he shall
pay silver as compensation to the father, as much
as the bride price for virgins is.
18 You shall not keep sorcerers alive.
19 Everything lying with an animal, you shall
with death kill them.
20 The one who sacrifices to the gods, except to
the Lord alone, shall be destroyed.
21 And you shall not harm a guest, nor shall
you oppress him, for you were guests in the land,
Egypt. 22 Every widow and orphan you shall not
harm. 23 But if you harm them with harm, and crying out, they call out to me, I will by paying attention listen to their voice, 24 and I will be enraged
with anger and will kill you with the dagger, and
your wives shall be widows, and your children orphans.
25 Now if you lend silver to a poor brother
near you, you shall not press him; you shall not
apply interest to him. 26 And if, as pledge, you take
in pledge the neighbor’s garment, before the setting of the sun you shall restore it. 27 For this is his
cloak; this alone is the garment for his shame. In
what shall he sleep? If then he should cry out to
me, I will listen to him, for I am merciful.
28 You shall not revile gods, and you shall not
speak ill of your people’s rulers.
29 First fruits of your threshing floor and press
you shall not hold back.
The firstborn of your sons you shall give to me.
67
30 You
shall do the same with your bull calf and
your sheep and your draft animal. For seven days it
shall be under its mother, but on the eighth day
you shall restore it to me.
31 And you shall be my holy men, and meat torn
by animals you shall not eat. Throw it to the dog!
You shall not accept a groundless report.
You shall not consent with the unjust per23
son to be an unjust witness. You shall not be with
2
the majority for wrongdoing. You shall not associate with a crowd to turn side with the majority so
as to turn aside a trial. 3 And a poor person you
shall not pity in a trial.
4 Now if you meet your enemy’s ox or his draft
animal when they go astray, you shall turn back
and restore them to him.
5 Now if you see your enemy’s draft animal
fallen under its load, you shall not pass it by, but
you shall raise it together with him.
6 You shall not pervert judgment of a poor man
in his trial. 7 From every unjust thing said you shall
keep away. An innocent and just person you shall
not kill, and you shall not acquit the impious person for the sake of bribes. 8 And you shall not take
bribes. For bribes blind the eyes of those who see
and corrupt just matters.
9 And you shall not oppress a guest. For you
know the life of a guest. For you yourselves were
guests in the land, Egypt.
10 For six years you shall sow your land and
gather its produce. 11 But in the seventh year you
shall make it rest and leave it, and the poor of your
nation shall eat, and that which is left over the
wild animals shall eat. So shall you do with your
vineyard and your olive grove.
12 Six days you shall do your tasks, but on the
seventh day you shall rest in order that your ox and
your draft animal might rest and that the son of
your female servant and the guest might be refreshed. 13 All that I have spoken to you, observe.
And you shall not recall a name of other gods; neither shall it be heard from your mouth.
14 Three times during the year hold a feast for
me. 15 Take heed to keep the feast of unleavened
bread. Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread,
just as I commanded you according to the time of
the month of the new things. For in it you came
out of Egypt.
You shall not appear before me empty-handed.
16 And you shall make a feast of the harvest of
first products of your labors, whichever you sowed
in your field, and a feast of completion at the end
of the year at the gathering of your labors that are
from your field. 17 Three times during the year
every male of yours shall appear before the Lord
your God.
18 For whenever I cast out nations from before
you and enlarge your borders, you shall not offer
the blood of my sacrifice near leaven, nor shall the
fat of my feast lie until morning.
19 The first fruits of the first products of your
land you shall bring into the house of the Lord
your God.
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exodus 23–25
68
You shall not boil a lamb in its mother’s milk.
20 And look, I am sending my angel in front of
you in order to guard you on the way in order to
bring you into the land that I prepared for you.
21 Mind yourself, and listen to him, and do not disobey him. For he shall not hold you in undue awe,
for my name is upon him.
22 If by paying attention you listen to my voice
and do all that I tell you, I will be an enemy to
your enemies and will resist those who resist you.
23 For my angel will go, leading you, and will
bring you in to the Amorrite and Chettite and
Pherezite and Chananite and Gergesite and Heuite
and Iebousite, and I will destroy them. 24 You shall
not do obeisance to their gods nor serve them. You
shall not act according to their practices, but with
demolition shall demolish and by smashing shall
smash their steles. 25 And you shall serve the Lord
your God, and I will bless your bread and your
wine and your water, and I will turn away sickness
from you. 26 There shall not be a childless or barren woman in your land. I will fulfill the number
of your days. 27 And I will send fear, leading you,
and I will confound all the nations, those into
which you are entering, and I will make all your
adversaries fugitives. 28 And I will send hornets before you, and it shall drive out the Amorrites and
the Heuites and the Chananites and the Chettites
from you. 29 I will not drive them out in one year,
lest the land become desolate and the wild animals of the land become many against you. 30 Little by little I will drive them out from you until you
are increased and inherit the land. 31 And I will set
your boundaries from the Red Sea until the Sea of
the Phylistiim and from the wilderness until the
great river Euphrates. And I will surrender into
your hands those dwelling in the land, and I will
drive them out from you. 32 You shall not make a
covenant with them and their gods. 33 And they
shall not dwell in your land, lest they make you sin
against me. For if you are subject to their gods,
these people shall be an obstacle for you.
And he said to Moyses, “Come up to the
Lord, you and Aaron and Nadab and Abioud and seventy of Israel’s elders, and they shall do
obeisance to the Lord from afar. 2 And Moyses
alone shall come near to God, but they themselves
shall not come near. And the people shall not
come up together with them.”
3 And Moyses went in and recounted to the
people all God’s words and statutes. And all the
people answered with one voice, saying, “All the
words that the Lord has spoken we will do and
heed.” 4 And Moyses wrote all the words of the
Lord. Now, early in the morning, Moyses constructed an altar at the foot of the mountain and
twelve stones for the twelve tribes of Israel. 5 And
he sent the young men of the sons of Israel, and
they offered whole burnt offerings and sacrificed a
sacrifice of deliverance to God, bull-calves. 6 Now,
taking half of the blood, Moyses poured it into
24
aOr
went missing
bowls, and half of the blood he poured out towards the altar. 7 And taking the book of the covenant, he read in the ears of the people, and they
said, “All that the Lord has said we will do and
heed.” 8 Then Moyses, taking the blood, scattered it
over the people and said, “Look, the blood of the
covenant that the Lord made with you concerning
all these words.”
9 And Moyses and Aaron and Nadab and Abioud and seventy of the elders’ council of Israel
went up. 10 And they saw the place, there where the
God of Israel stood, and that which was beneath
his feet, like something made from lapis lazuli
brick and like the appearance of the firmament of
heaven in purity. 11 And not even one of the chosen
of Israel perisheda. And they appeared in the place
of God and were eating and drinking.
12 And the Lord said to Moyses, “Come up to
me into the mountain, and be there. And I will
give you the stone tablets, the law and the commandments that I wrote to legislate for them.”
13 And Moyses rose up, and Iesous who assisted
him, and went up into the mountain of God.
14 And they said to the elders, “Wait quietly here
until we return to you. And look, Aaron and Hor
are with you. If a case arises for someone, let them
go to them.”
15 And Moyses and Iesous went up into the
mountain, and the cloud covered the mountain.
16 And God’s glory descended upon the mountain,
Sina, and the cloud covered it for six days, and the
Lord called Moyses on the seventh day from the
midst of the cloud. 17 Now the appearance of the
Lord’s glory was like a flaming fire on the top of
the mountain before the sons of Israel. 18 And
Moyses entered into the midst of the cloud and
went up into the mountain, and he was there on
the mountain for forty days and forty nights.
And the Lord spoke to Moyses, saying:
25
Speak to the sons of Israel, and take for
me first fruits from all those to whom it seems
2
good in their heart, and you shall receive my first
fruits. 3 And this is the first fruits that you shall take
from them: gold, silver, bronze, 4 blue, purple, double scarlet and twisted linen and goat’s hair 5 and
red-dyed rams’ skins and blue skins and decay-resistant wood 6(7) and stones of sardius and stones
for engraving for the shoulder-strap and the fulllength robe. 7(8) And you shall make a holy
precinct for me, and I shall appear among you.
8(9) And you shall make for me according to all that
I show you on the mountain—the pattern of the
tent and the pattern of all its furnishings. So you
shall make.
9(10) And you shall make an ark of witness
from decay-resistant wood, the length two and a
half cubits and the width a cubit and a half and the
height a cubit and a half. 10(11) And you shall goldplate it with pure gold. Outside and inside you
shall gild it, and you shall make for it twisted gold
moldings around. 11(12) And you shall cast four
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exodus 25–26
gold rings for it and put them on the four sides,
two rings on the one side and two rings on the second side. 12(13) And you shall make carrying-poles
from decay-resistant wood and gold-plate them
with gold. 13(14) And you shall put the carryingpoles into the rings on the sides of the ark to lift
the ark with them. 14(15) In the rings of the ark the
carrying-poles shall be fixed. 15(16) And you shall
deposit in the ark the witnesses, whichever I give
you.
16(17) And you shall make a propitiatory as a
cover of pure gold, the length two and a half cubits
and the width one and a half cubits. 17(18) And you
shall make two cheroubim engraved in gold, and
you shall position them at both sides of the propitiatory. 18(19) They shall be made—one cheroub on
this side and one cheroub on the second side of
the propitiatory. And you shall make the two cheroubim on the two sides. 19(20) The cheroubim shall
be stretching the wings above, overshadowing with
their wings the propitiatory and their faces towards
one another. Towards the propitiatory shall the
faces of the cheroubim be. 20(21) And you shall
place the propitiatory on the ark above, and in the
ark you shall deposit the witnesses, whichever I
give you. 21(22) And I will be known to you from
there, and I will speak to you from above the propitiatory in between the two cheroubim that are
on the ark of witness, even in accord with all that I
may command you for the sons of Israel.
22(23) And you shall make a table of pure
gold, the length two cubits and the width one
cubit and the height a cubit and a half. 23(24) And
you shall make for it twisted gold moldings
around, (25) and you shall make for it a rim, a
handbreadth all around. 24 And you shall make a
twisted molding for the rim around. 25(26) And you
shall make four gold rings, and you shall place the
rings on the four parts of its feet (27) under the rim.
26 And the rings shall be for sheaths for the carrying-poles so as to lift the table with them.
27(28) And you shall make the carrying-poles from
decay-resistant wood, and you shall gold-plate
them with pure gold, and the table shall be lifted
by them. 28(29) And you shall make its bowls and
censers and libation cups and ladles, those with
which you shall pour a libation. Of pure gold you
shall make them. 29(30) And you shall place upon
the table facing loaves, in front of me always.
30(31) And you shall make a lampstand from
pure gold. You shall make the lampstand engraved. Its stem and branches and bowls and budsa
and lilies shall be part of it. 31(32) Now six branches
going out sideways, three branches of the lampstand out of its one side and three branches of the
lampstand out of the second side. 32(33) And three
bowls shaped like nuts on one branch, a bud and
a lily. So for the six branches that go out from the
lampstand. 33(34) And on the lampstand four
bowls shaped like nuts, its buds and lilies. 34(35) A
bud under two branches of it and a bud under four
branches of it; so for the six branches that go out
aOr
knobs
bI.e.
coasters
cPerhaps
put under or put down
69
from the lampstand. 36 Let the buds and branches
be part of it, the whole engraved from one piece of
pure gold. 37 And you shall make its seven lamps,
and you shall position the lamps, and they shall
shine from the one face. 38 And its oil vessel and its
underlaysb you shall make from pure gold. 39 All
these vessels shall be a talent of pure gold. 40 See to
it that you make them according to the pattern that
has been shown to you on the mountain.
And you shall make the tent with ten curtains from twisted linen and blue and pur26
ple and twisted scarlet. With cheroubim by the
work of a weaver you shall make them. 2 The length
of the one curtain shall be twenty-eight cubits and
a width of four cubits shall be the one curtain. The
same measure shall be for all the curtains. 3 Now
five curtains shall be joined from one another, one
from the other, and five curtains shall be joined
one from the other. 4 And you shall make for them
blue loops at the edge of one curtain from the one
side for the coupling, and likewise you shall make
at the edge of the outer curtain for the second coupling. 5 Now you shall make fifty loops for the one
curtain and shall make fifty loops from the side of
the curtain at the coupling of the second, facing,
corresponding to one another, for each one. 6 And
you shall make fifty golden clasps and shall join
the curtains one to the other with the clasps, and
the tent shall be one.
7 And you shall make goat-hair skins as a covering over the tent. Eleven skins you shall make
them. 8 The length of one skin shall be thirty cubits, and the width of one skin shall be four cubits.
The same measure shall be for the eleven skins.
9 And you shall join the five skins together and the
six skins together. And you shall fold double the
sixth skin at the front of the tent. 10 And you shall
make fifty loops on the edge of the one skin in the
middle for the coupling, and fifty loops you shall
make on the edge of the second adjoining skin.
11 And you shall make fifty bronze clasps and
attach the clasps from the loops and join the skins,
and there shall be one. 12 And you shall clay downc
the excess in the skins of the tent. The half skin
that remains you shall let hang down. The excess
of the skins of the tent you shall let hang down behind the tent. 13 A cubit from this side and a cubit
from that side from the remainder of the skins
from the length of the skins of the tent shall be
covering over the sides of the tent on each side in
order to cover it. 14 And you shall make a covering
for the tent, red-dyed rams’ skins and blue-dyed
skins as coverings above.
15 And you shall make pillars for the tent from
decay-resistant wood. 16 Ten cubits you shall make
one pillar and a cubit and a half the width of one
pillar. 17 Two hooks for one pillar corresponding
one to the other; likewise you shall make for all
the pillars of the tent. 18 And you shall make pillars
for the tent, twenty pillars for the side towards the
north. 19 And forty silver bases you shall make for
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exodus 26–28
70
the twenty pillars, two bases for the one pillar for
both its ends and two bases for the one pillar for
both its ends. 20 And the second side towards the
south, twenty pillars. 21 And their forty silver bases,
two bases for the one pillar for both its ends and
two bases for the one pillar for both its ends.
22 And at the back of the tent for the part towards
the sea, you shall make six pillars. 23 And two pillars you shall make on the corners of the tent aat
the backa. 24 And they shall be even from the bottom up, and bin the same wayb they shall be even
from the capitals to one coupling. Likewise you
shall do for both; let them be for the two corners.
25 And there shall be eight pillars, and their bases
shall be silver, sixteen, two bases for the one pillar
and two bases for the one pillar for both its ends.
26 And you shall make bars from decay-resistant wood, five for one pillar on the one side of the
tent. 27 And five bars for the pillar at the second
side of the tent and five bars for the rear pillar, for
the side of the tent towards the sea. 28 And the middle bar in the middle of the pillars—let it reach
from the one side to the other side. 29 And the pillars you shall gold-plate with gold, and gold rings
you shall make into which you shall insert the
bars, and you shall gold-plate the bars with gold.
30 And you shall erect the tent according to the pattern shown to you on the mountain.
31 And you shall make a veil from blue and
purple and twisted scarlet and spun linen. A woven
work you shall make it, with cheroubim. 32 And
you shall set it on four, decay-resistant pillars gilded with gold. And their capitals shall be gold, and
their four bases silver. 33 And you shall place the
veil on the pillars, and you shall carry there inside
the veil the ark of witness. And the veil shall divide
for you between the holy and between the holy of
holies. 34 And you shall conceal by the veil the ark
of witness in the holy of holies. 35 And you shall
place the table outside of the veil, and the lampstand opposite the table on the side of the tent towards the south, and the table you shall place on
the side of the tent toward the north.
36 And you shall make a hanging of blue and
purple and twisted scarlet and twisted linen, a
work of an embroiderer. 37 And you shall make for
the veil five pillars and gild them with gold, and
their capitals shall be gold, and you shall cast five
bronze bases for them.
under the altar’s hearth beneath. Now the hearth
shall extend unto the middle of the altar. 6 And you
shall make poles for the altar from decay-resistant
wood, and you shall bronze-plate them with
bronze. 7 And you shall insert the poles into the
rings, and let the poles be down at the sides of the
altar when lifting it. 8 Hollow, with planks, you
shall make it. According to that which was shown
to you on the mountain, so you shall make it.
9 And you shall make a courtyard for the tent.
For the side towards the southwest the courtyard’s
hangings shall be from twisted linen, a length of a
hundred cubits on one side. 10 And their pillars
shall be twenty, and their bases twenty, bronze,
and their hooks and bands silver. 11 Likewise for
the side towards the east there shall be hangings, a
length of a hundred cubits, and their pillars shall
be twenty, and their bases twenty, bronze, and the
hooks and bands of the pillars and the bases silverplated with silver. 12 Now the width of the courtyard opposite the sea, hangings of fifty cubits; their
pillars shall be ten, and their bases ten. 13 And the
width of the courtyard towards the south, hangings of fifty cubits; their pillars shall be ten, and
their bases ten. 14 And the height of the hangings
for one side shall be fifteen cubits; their pillars
shall be three, and their bases three. 15 And the second side, the height of the hangings shall be fifteen
cubits; their pillars shall be three, and their bases
three. 16 And for the gate of the courtyard there
shall be a covering, the height of twenty cubits,
with embroidery of needlework from blue and
purple and twisted scarlet and twisted linen; their
pillars shall be four, and their bases four. 17 All the
pillars of the courtyard surrounding shall be silverplated with silver, and their capitals silver, and
their bases bronze. 18 Now the length of the courtyard shall be a hundred by a hundred and width
fifty-by-fifty, and height of five cubits, from twisted
linen, and their bases bronze. 19 And all the equipment and all the utensils and the pegs of the courtyard shall be bronze.
20 And you, instruct the sons of Israel, and let
them take for you oil from olives, refined, pure,
pressed, for light in order that the lamp might
burn continuously. 21 In the tent of witness outside
of the veil that is over the covenant, Aaron and his
sons shall burn it from evening until morning before the Lord. This is a perpetual precept for your
descendants from the sons of Israel.
And you shall make an altar from decay-resistant wood, the length of five cubits and
27
And you, bring near to yourself both
the width of five cubits. The altar shall be square, 28 Aaron, your brother, and his sons from the
and its height of three cubits. And you shall make sons of Israel to serve me as priests—Aaron and
2
horns on the four corners. The horns shall be part
of it, and you shall cover them with bronze. 3 And
you shall make a rim for the altar, and its cover and
its saucers and its meat hooks and its fire-pan and
all its utensils you shall make of bronze. 4 And you
shall make for it a bronze hearth with grid work,
and you shall make for the hearth four bronze
rings on the four sides. 5 And you shall place them
Nadab and Abioud and Eleazar and Ithamar, sons
of Aaron. 2 And you shall make a holy vestment for
Aaron, your brother, for honor and glory. 3 And
you, tell all those skilled in mind, whom I have
filled with the spirit of perception, and they shall
make the holy vestment of Aaron for the holy
place, in whichc he shall serve me as priest. 4 And
these are the vestments that they shall make—the
aPerhaps
vestment
from the rearward parts
bOr
at the same time
cI.e.
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exodus 28
chest piece and the shoulder-strap and the fulllength robe and tasseled tunic and turban and
sash. And they shall make holy vestments for
Aaron and his sons to serve me as priests. 5 And
they shall take the gold and the blue and the purple and the scarlet and the linen.
6 And they shall make the shoulder-strap from
twisted linen, woven work of an embroiderer.
7 There shall be two shoulder-straps for it, joined
one to the other, attached at the two sides. 8 And
the weba of the shoulder-straps, which is on it, in
accordance with its fabrication, shall be of gold
and blue and purple and spun scarlet and twisted
linen. 9 And you shall take two emerald stones and
shall engrave on them the names of the sons of Israel, 10 six names on the one stone and the six remaining names on the second stone, according to
their generations. 11 With the work of the gem-cutter’s craft, engraving of a seal, you shall engrave the
two stones with the names of the sons of Israel.
12 And you shall set the two stones on the shoulders of the shoulder-strap. Stones of remembrance
they shall be for the sons of Israel. And Aaron shall
bear the names of the sons of Israel before the Lord
on his two shoulders, a remembrance for them.
13 And you shall make small shields of pure gold.
14 And you shall make two tassels from pure gold,
intermingled with flowers, a work of braiding, and
you shall place the braided tassels on the small
shields on their shoulder-straps on the front sides.
15 And you shall make an oracle of judgments,
work of an embroiderer; according to the shape of
the shoulder-strap you shall make it; from gold
and blue and purple and twisted scarlet and twisted linen (16) you shall make it. 16 It shall be square,
doubled: the length a spanb and the width a span.
17 And you shall interweave in it a four-rowed,
stone-holding web. A row of stones shall be
sardius, topaz and emerald, the first row, 18 and the
second row carbuncle and lapis lazuli and jasper,
19 and the third row ligurion and agate and
amethyst, 20 and the fourth row chrysolitec and
beryl and onyx, covered around by gold, bounded
up together in gold; let them be according to their
row. 21 And let the stones be from the names of the
sons of Israel, twelve corresponding to their
names; let them be engraving of seals, each corresponding to the name for the twelve tribes. 22 And
you shall make on the oracle plaited tassels, chain
work of pure gold.
[23] And you shall make on the oracle two gold rings,
and you shall put the two rings on the two ends of the
oracle. [24] And you shall put the two gold chain works
on the two rings towards the ends of the oracle. [25] And
the two ends of the two chains you shall put on the
two bands, and you shall put them on the shoulders of
the shoulder-strap on the front of its face. [26] And you
shall make two gold rings, and you shall put them on
the two ends of the oracle on the edge of it that is towards the inside before the shoulder-strap. [27] And you
aPerhaps weaving
place before God
bA
unit of 12 fingers
cPossibly
71
shall make two gold rings, and you shall put them on
the two shoulders of the shoulder-strap beneath, proportionately from the front at its joining above the
contrivance of the shoulder-strap. [28] And they shall
join the oracle from its ring to the ring of the shoulderstrap by the blue thread in order that it might be on the
contrivance of the shoulder-strap, and the oracle shall
never be separated from the shoulder-strap.
23(29) And Aaron shall take the names of the
sons of Israel on the oracle of judgment on his
chest, das he enters into the holy place, a remembrance before Godd. 24 And you shall place on the
oracle of judgment the tassels; you shall place the
chains on both sides of the oracle. 25 And the two
little shields you shall place upon both the shoulders of the shoulder-strap in the front. 26(30) And
you shall place in the oracle of judgment the “disclosure” and the “truth,” and it shall be on the
chest of Aaron whenever he enters into the holy
place before the Lord, and Aaron shall bear the
judgments of the sons of Israel on his chest before
the Lord always.
27(31) And you shall make a foot-length undergarment entirely blue. 28(32) And its collar shall
be in the middle, having a border around the collar, work of a weaver, with the binding interwoven
with it, lest it be torn. 29(33) And you shall make on
the hem of the undergarment below little pomegranates, as a flowering pomegranate tree, from
blue and purple and spun scarlet and twisted
linen, upon the hem of the undergarment around,
and the same form, little gold pomegranates and
bells between them round about. 30(34) Beside a little golden pomegranate, a bell and a blossom on
the hem of the undergarment around. 31(35) And its
sound shall be heard for Aaron in his ministering,
as he enters into the holy place before the Lord
and comes out, lest he die.
32(36) And you shall make a pure gold thin
plate and shall put in relief in it the relief of the
seal “Holiness of the Lord.” 33(37) And you shall
place it on twisted blue, and it shall be on the
headdress. It shall be at the front of the headdress.
34(38) And it shall be on the forehead of Aaron, and
Aaron shall take away the sins of the holy things,
whichever the sons of Israel have consecrated,
every donation of their holy things. And it shall be
on Aaron’s forehead always, making them acceptable before the Lord.
35(39) And the fringes of the tunics shall be of
linen. And you shall make a linen turban, and a
sash you shall make, work of an embroiderer.
36(40) And for the sons of Aaron you shall make
tunics and sashes, and you shall make turbans for
them for honor and glory. 37(41)And you shall put
them on Aaron, your brother, and his sons with
him. And you shall anoint them and fill their hands
and consecrate them so that they may serve me as
priests. 38(42)And you shall make for them linen
drawers to hide the shame of their flesh; from hip to
yellow topaz
dOr
a remembrance to him as he enters into the holy
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exodus 28–29
thighs they shall be. 39(43)And Aaron and
his sons shall wear them, whenever they enter
the tent of witness or whenever they come
near to the altar of the holy place to minister,
and they shall not bring onto themselves sin,
lest they die: a perpetual precept for him and his
seed after him.
And these are things that you shall make
29
for them to consecrate them so that they
serve me as priests. You shall take one young calf
from the cattle and two rams without blemish
unleavened loaves kneaded with oil and unleavened cakes coated with oil. You shall make
them with fine flour from wheat. 3 And you shall
place them upon one reed basket and bring them
near on the reed basket, and the young bull and
the two rams. 4 And Aaron and his sons you shall
bring near to the doors of the tent of witness and
wash them with water. 5 And taking the vestments,
you shall clothe Aaron, your brother, with both the
full-length robe and the shoulder-strap and the oracle, and you shall join together the oracle to the
shoulder-strap for him. 6 And you shall place the
headdress on his head and place the thin plate
“Holiness” on the headdress. 7 And you shall take
some of the oil of anointing and pour it upon his
head and anoint him. 8 And his sons you shall
bring near and clothe them with tunics 9 and gird
them with the sashes and put on them the turbans,
and they shall have a priesthood to me forever.
And you shall validate the hands of Aaron and the
hands of his sons.
10 And you shall bring near the calf to the
doors of the tent of witness, and Aaron and his
sons shall place their hands on the head of the calf
before the Lord by the doors of the tent of witness.
11 And you shall slaughter the calf before the Lord
by the doors of the tent of witness. 12 And you shall
take from the blood of the calf and place on the
horns of the altar with your finger. Then all the remaining blood you shall pour beside the base of
the altar. 13 And you shall take all the fat upon the
intestines and the lobe of the liver and the two kidneys and the fat on them and place on the altar.
14 But the flesh of the calf and the skin and the excrement you shall burn with fire outside the camp,
for it is of sin.
15 And the one ram you shall take, and Aaron
and his sons shall place their hands on the head of
the ram. 16 And you shall slaughter it, and taking
the blood, you shall pour it against the altar round
about. 17 And the ram you shall divide limb by
limb and wash the entrails and feet with water and
place on the divided parts with the head. 18 And
you shall offer up the whole ram on the altar as a
whole burnt offering to the Lord for an odor of fragrance. It is a sacrifice for the Lord.
19 And you shall take the second ram, and
Aaron and his sons shall place their hands on the
head of the ram. 20 And you shall slaughter it and
take some of its blood and place on the lobe of
Aaron’s right ear and on the tip of the right hand
and on the tip of the right foot and on the lobes of
2 and
his sons’ right ears and on the tips of their right
hands and on the tips of their right feet. 21 And you
shall take from the blood that is from the altar and
from the oil of anointing and sprinkle on Aaron
and on his vestment and his sons and the vestments of his sons with him. And he shall be consecrated, and his vestment and his sons and the vestments of his sons with him. But the blood of the
ram you shall pour against the altar round about.
22 And you shall take from the ram its fat and
the fat covering the intestines and the lobe of the
liver and the two kidneys and the fat on them and
the right shoulder—for this is validation—23 and a
loaf, one from oil, and a cake, one from the reed
basket of unleavened things placed before the
Lord, 24 and you shall place all these things on the
hands of Aaron and on the hands of his sons, and
you shall deduct them as an advance deduction before the Lord. 25 And you shall take these things
from their hands and offer up on the altar of the
whole burnt offering for an odor of fragrance before the Lord. It is a sacrifice for the Lord.
26 And you shall take the breast from the ram
of validation, which is for Aaron, and set it apart as
something set apart before the Lord, and it shall be
for you for a share. 27 And you shall consecrate the
breast as something set apart, and the shoulder of
the advance deduction, which has been set apart
and which has been deducted in advance from the
ram of validation from Aaron and from his sons.
28 And it shall be for Aaron and his sons a perpetual precept from the sons of Israel. For this is an
advance deduction, and it shall be an advance deduction from the sons of Israel from the victims of
deliverance, an advance deduction for the Lord.
29 And the vestment of the holy place that is
for Aaron shall be for his sons after him, for them
to be anointed in them and to validate their hands.
30 For seven days the priest who replaces him from
his sons shall wear these things, who shall enter
into the tent of witness to minister in the holy
things.
31 And you shall take the ram of validation and
boil the flesh in a holy place. 32 And Aaron and his
sons shall eat the flesh of the ram and the loaves in
the reed basket beside the doors of the tent of witness. 33 They shall eat these things that they have
been consecrated by, to validate their hands, to
consecrate them, and an alien shall not eat from
these things, for they are holy. 34 But if there
should remain any of the flesh of the sacrifice of
validation and of the loaves until morning, you
shall burn the leftovers with fire. It shall not be
eaten, for it is something made holy.
35 And you shall do to Aaron and his sons thus
according to all things that I commanded you. For
seven days you shall validate their hands. 36 And
the young calf for the sin you shall do on the day
of the purification, and you shall purify the altar
when you perform consecration for it, and you
shall anoint it so that you consecrate it. 37 For
seven days you shall purify the altar and consecrate
it, and the altar shall be holy of the holy. Everyone
who touches the altar shall be consecrated.
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exodus 29–30
38 And these are things that you shall do on
the altar: two yearling lambs without blemish each
day upon the altar perpetually, an offering in perpetuity. 39 The one lamb you shall do in the morning, and the second lamb you shall do in the
evening. 40 And a tenth of fine flour mixed with
beaten oil, the fourth of a hina, and a libation, the
fourth of a hina of wine, with the one lamb. 41 And
the second lamb you shall do in the evening. In accordance with the morning sacrifice and in accordance with its libation you shall do, an odor of fragrance, an offering for the Lord, 42 a sacrifice in
perpetuity throughout your generations, at the
doors of the tent of witness before the Lord, by
which I will be known to you there so as to speak
to you. 43 And I will there prescribe for the sons of
Israel, and I will be regarded as holy by my glory.
44And I will consecrate the tent of witness and the
altar, and Aaron and his sons I will consecrate to
serve me as priests. 45And I will be invoked among
the sons of Israel and will be their god. 46And they
will know that I am the Lord their God who
brought them from the land of Egypt, to be invoked by them and to be their god.
And you shall make an altar of incense
30
from decay-resistant wood. And you shall
make it a cubit long and a cubit wide. It shall be
2
square and two cubits high. Its horns shall be part
of it. 3 And you shall gold-plate them with pure
gold, its hearth and its sides round about and its
horns, and you shall make for it a twisted gold
molding round about. 4 And two pure gold rings
you shall make for it below its twisted molding; on
the two sides you shall make them at the two
flanks. And they shall be housings for the sticks to
carry it by them. 5 And you shall make sticks from
decay-resistant wood and gold-plate them with
gold. 6 And you shall place it in front of the veil
that is over the ark of witnesses by which I will be
known to you there. 7 And Aaron will burn on it
mixed, finely ground incense. Morning by morning, whenever he prepares the lamps, he will burn
incense on it. 8 And whenever Aaron lights the
lamps in the evening, he will burn incense on it—
incense of perpetuity always before the Lord for
their generations. 9 And you shall not offer on it
other incense, offering, sacrifice, and a libation you
shall not pour on it. 10 And Aaron will make atonement on its horns once in the year. By means of the
blood of the purification of sins, the atonement,
once in the year he will purify it for their generations. It is a holy of holies for the Lord.
11 And the Lord spoke to Moyses, saying: 12 If
you take the count of the sons of Israel in their review, they each shall also give a ransom for his soul
to the Lord, and there shall not be damage among
them in their review. 13 And this is what they shall
give, as many as pass along the review: the half of
the didrachma, which is according to the holy
didrachma. The didrachma is twenty obols. Now
the half of the didrachma is a tax for the Lord.
aHeb
1 hin = 4 liters
73
14 Everyone who passes along for the review from
twenty years and upward shall give the tax to the
Lord. 15 The wealthy person will not increase, and
the poor person will not decrease the half of the
didrachma when giving the tax to the Lord to
make atonement for your souls. 16 And you shall
take the silver of the tax from the sons of Israel and
give it for the labor cost of the tent of witness, and
for the sons of Israel it shall be a remembrance before the Lord to make atonement for your souls.
17 And the Lord spoke to Moyses, saying:
18 Make a bronze washbasin and a bronze base for
it for washing. And you shall put it between the
tent of witness and between the altar, and you shall
pour water into it. 19 And Aaron and his sons will
wash from it their hands and their feet with water.
20 Whenever they enter into the tent of witness,
they will wash with water and will not die, or
whenever they come near to the altar to minister
and to offer the whole burnt offerings to the Lord,
21 they will wash their hands and their feet with
water, lest they die. And it will be for them a perpetual precept, for him and his generations after
him.
22 And the Lord spoke to Moyses, saying:
23 And you, take spices, the flower of choice myrrh,
five hundred shekels and sweet-smelling cinnamon, half of this, two hundred and fifty and sweetsmelling cane, two hundred and fifty 24 and five
hundred sanctuary shekels of iris and a hina of oil
from olives. 25 And you shall make it a holy anointing oil, aromatic perfume by the craft of a perfumer; it shall be a holy anointing oil. 26 And you
shall anoint from it the tent of witness and the ark
of witness 27 and the lampstand and all its utensils
and the altar of incense 28 and the altar of the
whole burnt offerings and all its utensils, and the
table and all its utensils, and the washbasin and its
base. 29 And you shall consecrate them, and they
shall be holy of holies. Everyone who touches them
shall be consecrated. 30 And Aaron and his sons you
shall anoint and shall consecrate them to serve me
as priests. 31 And to the sons of Israel you shall
speak, saying, “Oil, holy unguent of anointing,
shall this be for you throughout your generations.
32 On the flesh of a person it shall not be poured,
and according to this mixture there shall not be
made for yourselves such as this. It is holy, and it
shall be to you something made holy. 33 Whoever
makes such as this and whoever gives of it to an
alien shall be destroyed from his people.”
34 And the Lord said to Moyses: Take for yourself spices—oil of myrrh, onycha, galbanum that is
sweet and translucent frankincense, each shall be
in equal proportion. 35 And they will make it incense, perfumed work of a perfumer, mixed, pure,
holy work. 36 And you shall beat some of it small
and place it before the witnesses in the tent of witness, there where I shall be known to you. It shall
be a holy of holies for you. 37 Incense according to
this mixture you shall not make for yourselves. It is
to you something made holy to the Lord. 38 Who-
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exodus 31–32
74
ever makes such as this, so as to be scented with it,
shall perish from his people.
And the Lord spoke to Moyses, saying:
31
Look, I have summoned by name Beseleel
the son of Ouri son of Hor of the tribe of Ioudas,
2
3 and
I have filled him with a divine spirit of skill
and intelligence and knowledge in every work, 4 to
be designing and to construct, to fashion the gold
and the silver and the bronze and the blue and the
purple and the spun scarlet and the twisted linen
5 and the stone works and for the works crafted
from wood, to fashion according to all the works.
6 And I have appointed him and Eliab the son of
Achisamach from the tribe of Dan, and to everyone intelligent at heart I have given intelligence,
and they shall make all things that I instructed
you—7 the tent of witness and the ark of the covenant and the propitiatory that is on it and the furnishings of the tent 8 and the altars and the table
and all its utensils and the pure lampstand and all
its utensils 9 and the washbasin and its base 10 and
Aaron’s ministry vestments and the vestments of
his sons to serve me as priests 11 and the oil of
anointing and the incense of the mixture for the
sanctuary—according to all that I commanded
you, they shall do.
12 And the Lord spoke to Moyses, saying:
13 And you, instruct the sons of Israel, saying, “Observe and keep my sabbaths! For it is a sign with
me and among you for your generations in order
that you may know that I am the Lord who consecrates you. 14 And you shall keep the sabbaths, because this is holy for you. The one who profanes it
shall with death be put to death. Everyone who
will do work in it, that soul shall be destroyed
from among his people. 15 For six days you shall do
works, but on the seventh day there is Sabbata, a
rest holy to the Lord. Everyone who does work on
the seventh day shall be put to death. 16 And the
sons of Israel will keep the sabbaths to observe
them throughout their generations, an everlasting
covenant 17 with me and the sons of Israel.” It is an
everlasting sign because in six days the Lord made
the heaven and the earth, and on the seventh day
he stopped and rested.
18 And he gave Moyses, when he stopped
speaking to him on the mountain, Sina, the two
tablets of witness, stone tablets written by the finger of God.
And when the people saw that Moyses delayed to come down from the mountain,
32
the people gathered together before Aaron and
a
say to him, “Get up, and make us gods who will go
before us. For this Moyses, the man who brought
us out from the land of Egypt, we do not know
what has happened to him.” 2 And Aaron says to
them, “Remove the gold earrings in the ears of
your wives and daughters, and bring them to me.”
3 And all the people removed the gold earrings in
their ears and brought them to Aaron. 4 And he reaPerhaps
against
ceived from their hands and formed them with an
engraving tool and made them a molten calf and
said, “These are your gods, Israel, who brought you
up from the land of Egypt.” 5 And when Aaron saw,
he built an altar before it, and Aaron proclaimed,
saying, “The Lord’s feast tomorrow!” 6 And early
the next day, he brought up whole burnt offerings
and offered a sacrifice of deliverance, and the people sat down to eat and drink, and they arose to
play.
7 And the Lord spoke to Moyses, saying, “Go!
Descend quickly from here, for your people have
acted lawlessly, whom you brought out of the land
of Egypt. 8 They have deviated quickly from the
way that you commanded them. They made for
themselves a calf and did obeisance to it and offered sacrifices to it, and they said, 9 ‘These are your
gods, Israel, who brought you up from the land of
Egypt.’ 10 And now allow me, and, enraged with
anger against them, I will destroy them and make
you into a great nation.”
11 And Moyses prayed before the Lord his God
and said, “Why, Lord, are you enraged with anger
against your people whom you brought out of the
land of Egypt with great power and an uplifted
arm? 12 Lest the Egyptians should speak, saying,
‘With evil intent he led them out to kill them in
the mountains and to destroy them utterly from
the earth,’ stop the anger of your rage, and be propitious at the wickedness of your people, 13 remembering Abraam and Isaak and Iakob, your domestics, to whom you swore by yourself and spoke
to them, saying, ‘I will greatly multiply your seed
as the stars of the sky in number,’ and all this land
that you said you would give to their seed, and
they will possess it forever.” 14 And the Lord was
propitiated concerning the harm that he said he
would do to his people.
15 And Moyses turned and went down from
the mountain, and the two tablets of witness were
in his hands, stone tablets written on both their
sides; on this side and that side they were written.
16 And the tablets were God’s work, and the writing, God’s writing, was engraved in the tablets.
17 And when Iesous heard the sound of the people
shouting, he says to Moyses, “The sound of war is
in the camp!” 18 And he says,
“It is not the sound of those taking the lead
by force
or the sound of those taking the lead in a
rout,
but the sound of those taking the lead in
wine I hear.”
19 Now when he was drawing near to the camp, he
sees the calf and the dancing, and being enraged
with anger, Moyses threw from his hands the two
tablets and shattered them beneath the mountain.
20 And taking the calf that they made, he burnt it
with fire and ground it small and scattered it on
the water and made the sons of Israel drink it.
21 And Moyses said to Aaron, “What did this
people do to you that you brought upon them
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exodus 32–34
great sin?” 22 And Aaron said to Moyses, “Do not
be enraged, lord. For you know the impulse of this
people. 23 For they say to me, ‘Make us gods who
will go before us. For this Moyses, the man who
brought us out from the land of Egypt, we do not
know what has happened to him.’ 24 And I said to
them, ‘If gold things belong to anyone, take them
off!’ and they gave them to me, and I threw them
into the fire, and this calf came out!”
25 And when Moyses saw the people, that it
had scattered—for Aaron scattered them, an object
of gloating to their opponents—26 then Moyses
stood at the gate of the camp and said, “Who is
with the Lord? Let him come to me!” Then all the
sons of Leui gathered to him. 27 And he says to
them, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel,
says, ‘Each one put his own sword on his thigh,
and go through, and return from gate to gate
through the camp, and each one kill his brother,
and each one his neighbor, and each one the one
nearest to him.’ “ 28 And the sons of Leui did according as Moyses said to them, and there fell from
the people on that day about three thousand men.
29 And Moyses said to them, “You filled your hands
today for the Lord, each one by the son or by the
brother, for a blessing to be bestowed upon you.”
30 And it happened on the next day that Moyses said to the people, “You have sinned a great sin,
and now I will go up to God in order that I might
make atonement for your sin.” 31 Then Moyses
turned to the Lord and said, “I beg, O Lord. This
people has sinned a great sin and made for themselves gold gods. 32 And now, if you shall forgive
them the sin, forgive. But if not, erase me from
your book that you have written.” 33 And the Lord
said to Moyses, “If anyone has sinned before me, I
will erase him from my book. 34 But now go, and
lead this people to the place that I told you. Look,
my angela will go before your face. But on
whichever day I concern myself, I will bring upon
them their sin.”
35 And the Lord struck the people for the making of the calf that Aaron made.
And the Lord said to Moyses, “Go, ascend
from here, you and your people, whom
33
you brought out of the land of Egypt, into the land
that I swore to Abraam, Isaak and Iakob, saying,
‘To your seed I will give it.’ 2 And I will send along
my angela before you, and he will cast out the
Amorrite and Chettite and Pherezite and Gergesite
and Heuite and Iebousite. 3 And he will lead you
into a land flowing with milk and honey. For I
shall never go up together with you because you
are a stiff-necked people, lest I exterminate you in
the way.”
4 And when the people heard this grievous
statement, they mourned in mournful ways. 5 And
the Lord said to the sons of Israel, “You are a stiffnecked people. Watch, lest I bring another plague
upon you and exterminate you. Now then, take off
the vestments of your glory and the ornamentaaOr
messenger
bPossibly
after they had left
75
tion, and I will show you what I will do to you.”
the sons of Israel removed their ornamentation and finery fromb the mountain of Choreb.
7 And Moyses took his tent and pitched it outside the camp, far from the camp, and it was called
“tent of witness.” And it happened that everyone
who was seeking the Lord would go out to the tent
outside the camp. 8 And when Moyses would go
into the tent, all the people stood, watching, each
one at the doors of his tent, and they would pay attention as Moyses went away until he entered into
the tent. 9 And whenever Moyses entered into the
tent, the pillar of cloud would descend and stand
at the doors of the tent and would speak to Moyses. 10 And all the people would see the pillar of
cloud standing at the doors of the tent, and all the
people stood and did obeisance each one at the
door of his tent. 11 And the Lord spoke to Moyses
face to face, as if someone should speak to his own
friend. And he would return to the camp, but his
attendant, Iesous son of Naue, a young man,
would not go out of the tent.
12 And Moyses said to the Lord, “Look, you say
to me, ‘Lead up this people!’ but you did not disclose to me whom you would send along with me.
And you said to me, ‘I have known you above all
others, and you have favor with me.’ 13 If then I
have found favor before you, disclose yourself to
me. Let me see you recognizably in order that I
might find favor before you and in order that I
might know that this nation is your people.”
14 And he says, “I myself will go before you, and I
will give you rest.” 15 And he says to him, “If you
yourself do not go, do not lead me up from here.
16 And how shall it be truly known that I have
found favor with you, both I and your people,
other than if you go along with us? And we shall
be glorified, both I and your people, above all the
nations that are on the earth.”
17 Then the Lord said to Moyses, “Even this
word that you have spoken, I will do for you. For
you have found favor before me, and I know you
above all others.” 18 And he says, “Show me your
own glory!” 19 And he said, “I will pass by before
you in my glory, and I will call by my name “Lord”
before you. And I will have mercy on whomever
I have mercy, and I will have compassion on
whomever I have compassion.” 20 And he said,
“You shall not be able to see my face. For a person
shall never see my face and live.” 21 And the Lord
said, “Look, a place is near me. You shall stand on
the rock. 22 Now, whenever my glory passes by,
then I will put you in a hole of the rock, and I will
cover you with my hand until I pass by. 23 And I
will take my hand away, and then you shall see my
hind parts, but my face will not appear to you.”
6 And
And the Lord said to Moyses, “Cut for yourself two stone tablets, just like the first
34
ones, and ascend to me onto the mountain, and I
will write upon the tablets the words that were on
the first tablets that you shattered, 2 and be pre-
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76
pared for the morning, and you shall come up
onto the mountain, Sina, and shall stand there for
me on the top of the mountain. 3 And let no one
come up with you or be seen in all the mountain.
And do not let the sheep and the cattle graze near
that mountain.” 4 And he cut two stone tablets, just
like the first ones. And when it was early in the
morning, Moyses went up onto the mountain,
Sina, just as the Lord instructed him. And Moyses
took with him the two stone tablets. 5 And the Lord
descended in a cloud, and he stood beside him
there, and he called in the name of the Lord. 6 And
the Lord passed by before his face, and he called,
“The Lord, the Lord God is compassionate
and merciful,
patient and very merciful and truthful
7
and preserving righteousness and doing
mercy for thousands,
taking away acts of lawlessness and of
injustice and sins,
and he will not acquit the guilty person,
bringing lawless acts of fathers upon
children and upon children of
children,
upon the third and fourth generation.”
8 And quickly, bowing down to the earth, Moyses
did obeisance 9 and said, “If I have found favor before you, let my Lord go together with us. For the
people are stiff-necked, and you shall take away
our sins and lawless acts, and we will be yours.”
10 And the Lord said to Moyses: Look, I am
making a covenant with you. Before all your people I shall do glorious things that have not happened in all the earth and in any nation. And all
the people among whom you are will see the
works of the Lord because the things that I will do
for you are awesome.
11 Mind all the things that I command you.
Look, I am casting out from before you the Amorrite and Chananite and Chettite and Pherezite and
Heuite and Gergesite and Iebousite. 12 Mind yourself, lest you make a covenant with those dwelling
on the land that you are entering into, lest it become a stumbling block for you. 13 Their altarsa you
shall tear down, and their steles you shall break,
and their groves you shall cut down, and the cast
images of their gods you shall burn with fire. 14 For
you shall not do obeisance before another god. For
the Lord God, a jealous name, is a jealous God,
15 lest you make a covenant with those dwelling on
the land and they go fornicating after their gods
and they sacrifice to their gods and invite you and
you should eat their sacrifices 16 and you should
take from their daughters for your sons and from
your daughters you should give to their sons and
your daughters go fornicating after their gods and
they lead your sons to fornicate after their gods.
17 And you shall not make for yourself molten
gods.
18 And the feast of unleavened bread you shall
keep. Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread,
according as I have commanded you, during the
aGk
bômos
time in the month of the new things. For in the
month of the new things you came out of Egypt.
19 All that opens the womb, the males are
mine, firstborn of a cow and firstborn of a sheep.
20 And you shall redeem the firstborn of a draft animal with a sheep. Now if you do not redeem it,
you shall give a price. Every firstborn of your sons
you shall redeem.
You shall not appear before me empty-handed.
21 Six days you shall work, but on the seventh
day you shall rest. In seedtime and harvest you
shall rest. 22 And a feast of weeks you shall make
for me during the beginning of the wheat harvest,
and a feast of gathering in the middle of the year.
23 Three times per year every male of yours shall
appear before the Lord, the God of Israel. 24 For
whenever I cast out the nations from before you
and enlarge your borders, no one shall desire your
land whenever you go up to appear before the
Lord your God three times per year.
25 You shall not slaughter the blood of my sacrifices near leaven, and sacrifices of a feast of
pascha shall not lie until morning.
26 The first products of your land you shall
bring into the house of the Lord your God.
You shall not boil a lamb in its mother’s milk.
27 And the Lord said to Moyses: Write for yourself these words. For on the basis of these words I
have made a covenant with you and Israel. 28 And
Moyses was there before the Lord for forty days
and forty nights. He did not eat bread and he did
not drink water. And he wrote these words on the
tablets of the covenant, the Ten Words.
29 And as Moyses was descending from the
mountain, the two tablets also were in Moyses’
hands. Now as he was descending from the mountain, Moyses did not know that the appearance of
the skin of his face was charged with glory while he
was speaking to him. 30 And Aaron and all the elders of Israel saw Moyses, and the appearance of
the skin of his face was charged with glory, and
they were afraid to come near to him. 31 And Moyses called them, and Aaron and all the rulers of the
congregation turned to him, and Moyses spoke to
them. 32 And after these things all the sons of Israel drew near to him, and he commanded them all
the things that the Lord said to him on the mountain, Sina. 33 And when he stopped speaking to
them, he placed a covering over his face. 34 But
whenever Moyses would enter in before the Lord
to speak with him, he would remove the covering
until coming out. And when he came out, he
would tell all the sons of Israel what the Lord commanded him. 35 And the sons of Israel saw the face
of Moyses that it was charged with glory, and Moyses put a covering over his face until he went in to
converse with him.
And Moyses assembled the entire congregation of the sons of Israel and said to
35
them: These are the words that the Lord said to do
them:
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exodus 35–36
2 Six days you shall do works, but on the seventh day there is a rest, something holy, Sabbata, a
repose for the Lord. Let everyone who does work in
it die! 3You shall not kindle a fire in any settlement
of yours on the day of the sabbaths. I am the Lord.
4 And Moyses spoke to the entire congregation
of the sons of Israel, saying: This is the matter that
the Lord instructed, saying: 5 Take from among
yourselves an advance deduction for the Lord.
Everyone who is disposed in heart will bring the
first fruits to the Lord, gold, silver, bronze, 6 blue,
purple, double spun scarlet and twisted linen and
goats’ hair 7 and red-dyed rams’ skins and blue
skins and decay-resistant wood 8(9) and stones of
sardius and stones for engraving for the shoulderstrap and the full-length robe.
9(10) And let everyone among you skilled in
mind come and fashion all the things that the Lord
instructed—10(11) the tent and the wrappings and
the coverings and the hooks and the bars and the
pillars 11(12) and the ark of witness and its carryingpoles and its propitiatory and the veil 12(13) and the
hangings of the court and its pillars 13(14) and the
stones of emerald 14(15) and the incense and the oil
of the anointing 15(16) and the table and all its
utensils 16(17) and the lampstand of the light and
all its utensils 17(18) and the altar and all its utensils
18(19) and the holy vestments of Aaron, the priest,
and the vestments that they will minister in 19 and
the tunics of the priesthood for the sons of Aaron
(15) and the oil of the anointing and the incense of
the mixture.
20 And the entire congregation of the sons of
Israel went away from Moyses. 21 And each one
whose heart was inclining brought, and to whose
mind it seemed good, they brought an advance
deduction for the Lord for all the works of the tent
of witness and for all its labor costs and for all the
vestments of the holy place. 22 And the men
brought from their wives. Everyone to whose mind
it seemed good brought seals and earrings and finger-rings and hair clasps and bracelets, every gold
implement, and all, as many as brought advance
deductions of gold for the Lord. 23 And with whom
was found linen and blue skins and red-dyed rams’
skin, they brought. 24 And everyone who deducted
in advance an advance deduction, silver and
bronze, they brought advance deductions to the
Lord, and among whom decay-resistant wood was
found for all the works of construction, they
brought. 25 And every woman skilled in mind to
spin with hands, they brought spun things, the
blue and the purple and the scarlet and the linen.
26 And all the women to whose mind it seemed
good, with skill spun the goat’s hair. 27 And the
rulers brought the stones of emerald and the
stones for setting into the shoulder-strap and into
the oracle 28 and the mixtures and the oil of the
anointing and the mixture of the incense. 29 And
every man and woman whose mind was impelling
them to enter in and do all the works that the Lord
instructed to do them through Moyses—the sons
of Israel brought an advance deduction for the
Lord.
77
30 And Moyses said to the sons of Israel: Look,
God has called by name Beseleel the son of Ouri
son of Hor from the tribe of Ioudas 31 and has
filled him with a divine spirit of skill and intelligence and knowledge of all things 32 to construct
according to all the works of construction, to form
the gold and the silver and the bronze 33 and to
work the stone and to fashion the wood and to
make by every work of skill 34 and to instruct as
well he gave him in his mind, both to him and to
Eliab the son of Achisamach from the tribe of Dan.
35 And he filled them with skill and intelligence of
mind to understand all things, to make the works
of the holy place and to weave the woven and the
embroidered things with the scarlet and the linen,
to make every work of construction, of embroidery.
And Beseleel and Eliab and everyone
36
skilled in mind, to whom were given skill
and knowledge in them to know how to make all
the works according to the holy things that are fitting, did according to all that the Lord instructed.
2 And Moyses called Beseleel and Eliab and all
those having the skill, to whom God gave knowledge in their heart, and all those who freely desired, to make a start on the works so as to complete them, 3 and they received from Moyses all the
advance deductions that the sons of Israel brought
for all the works of the holy place to make them,
and they were still receiving the things being offered from those who were bringing morning by
morning. 4 And all the skilled who were making
the works of the holy place, each one according to
his work that they were fashioning, were drawing
near 5 and said to Moyses, “The people are bringing
much beyond the works that the Lord has instructed to do.” 6 And Moyses ordered and proclaimed in
the camp, saying, “Let man and woman no longer
work for the first fruits of the holy place.” And the
people were prevented from offering any more.
7 And the works were sufficient for the equipment,
to make it, and they had a surplus.
8 And every skilled person among those working made (39.1) the vestments of the holy places
that belonged to Aaron, the priest, according as the
Lord instructed Moyses.
9(2) And they made the shoulder-strap from
gold and blue and purple and spun scarlet and
twisted linen. 10(3) And the leaves of gold were cut
up as hairs so as to weave together with the blue
and the purple and with the spun scarlet and with
the twisted linen. They made it a woven work,
11(4) shoulder pieces joined from both sides, (5) a
work woven into one another by mutual twisting
of each part. 12 From it they made in accord with its
making, from gold and blue and purple and spun
scarlet and twisted linen, according as the Lord instructed Moyses.
13(6) And they prepared both stones of emerald, having been fastened and set about with gold,
inscribed and engraved with the engraving of a seal
with the names of the sons of Israel, 14(7) and he set
them on the shoulders of the shoulder-strap,
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78
stones of remembrance of the sons of Israel, according as the Lord instructed Moyses.
15(8) And they made an oracle, a work woven
with embroidery, like the work of the shoulderstrap, from gold and blue and purple and spun
scarlet and twisted linen. 16(9) They made the oracle square, doubled: the length of a span and the
width of a span, doubled. 17(10) And there was interwoven in it a woven piece, set with stones, with
four rows. A row of stones—sardius and topaz and
emerald—was the one row. 18(11) And the second
row—ruby and lapis lazuli and jasper. 19(12) And
the third row—ligurion and agate and amethyst.
20(13) And the fourth row—chrysolitea and beryl
and onyx, set in gold and bound in gold. 21(14) And
the stones were of the names of the sons of Israel,
twelve corresponding to their names, engraved
seals, each with its own name for the twelve tribes.
22(15) And they made on the oracle plaited tassels,
a work of braiding, from pure gold. 23(16) And they
made two small gold shields and two gold rings.
24 And they put the two gold rings on both corners
of the oracle. 25(17) And they put the braids of gold
on the rings on both sides of the oracle (18) and
onto the two couplings, the two braids. 26 And they
put them on the two small shields and put them
on the shoulders of the shoulder-strap opposite in
front. 27(19) And they made two gold rings and put
them on the two wings, at the extremity of the oracle, on the extremity of the rear of the shoulderstrap inward. 28(20) And they made two gold rings
and put them on both shoulders of the shoulderstrap below it, in front beneath the coupling, above
the woven strap of the shoulder-strap. 29(21) And he
fastened the oracle by the rings on it to the rings of
the shoulder-strap, being held together by the
blue, having been interwoven into the woven work
of the shoulder-strap, lest the oracle be loosened
from the shoulder-strap, according as the Lord instructed Moyses.
30(22) And they made the undergarment beneath the shoulder-strap, a woven work entirely
blue. 31(23) Now the collar of the undergarment was
in the middle interwoven, plaited together, having an indestructible border around the collar.
32(24) And they made on the hem of the undergarment below little pomegranates as of a flowering
pomegranate tree, from blue and purple and spun
scarlet and twisted linen. 33(25) And they made
gold bells and put the bells on the hem of the undergarment all around between the little pomegranates. 34(26) A gold bell and a little pomegranate
were on the hem of the undergarment all around
in order to minister, according as the Lord instructed Moyses.
35(27) And they made linen tunics, a woven
work, for Aaron and his sons. 36(28) And the turbans from linen and the headdress from linen and
the drawers from twisted linen. 37(29)And their
sashes from linen and blue and purple and spun
scarlet, a work of an embroiderer, in the same
manner as the Lord instructed Moyses.
aPossibly
yellow topaz
38(30) And they made the thin gold plate,
something set apart of the holy place, of pure gold.
39 And he wrote letters on it, put in relief like a seal,
“Holiness to the Lord.” 40(31) And they put on the
border something blue so that it lay on the headdress above, in the same manner as the Lord instructed Moyses.
(36.8b)
And they made for the tent ten cur37
Twenty-eight cubits was the
tains.
length of the one curtain. All were the same. And
2(9)
the width of the one curtain was four cubits.
[36.8] The
work of the tent of ten curtains from twisted
linen and blue and purple and twisted scarlet; he
made them with cheroubim, by the work of a weaver.
[9] A length of the one curtain was twenty-eight cubits,
and a width of four cubits was the one curtain; the
measurement was the same for all the curtains [10] and
the five curtains joining one from the other and five
curtains joining one from the other. [11] And he made
blue loops on the edge of the one curtain from the
side for the coupling. And thus he did on the edge of
the outer curtain for the second coupling. [12] Now fifty
loops he made for the one curtain, and fifty loops he
made from the side of the curtain according to the
coupling of the second. The loops were opposite to
one another for each one. [13] And he made fifty gold
clasps, and he joined together the curtains, one to the
other with the clasps. And the tent became one.
[14] And he made hairy skins as a cover over the tent.
Eleven skins he made them. [15] The length of the one
skin was thirty cubits and the width of the one skin
was four cubits; the measurement was the same for the
eleven skins. [16] And he joined the five skins together
and the six skins together. [17] And he made fifty loops
on the edge of the skin in between as a coupling, and
fifty loops he made on the edge of the adjoining second skin. [18] And he made fifty bronze clasps, and he
joined the tent to be one. [19] And he made red-dyed
skins of rams as a covering for the tent and blue skins
above as an outer covering. [20] And he made the pillars
for the tent from decay-resistant wood, standing.
[21] The length of the pillar was ten cubits, and the
width of the one pillar was a cubit and half a cubit.
[22] Two hooks for the one pillar opposite one to the
other; thus he made all the pillars of the tent. [23] And
he made the pillars of the tent twenty pillars on the
side towards the south southward. [24] And forty silver
bases he made for the twenty pillars, two bases for the
one pillar for both its parts and two bases for the one
pillar for both its parts. [25] Now for the second side of
the tent towards the north he made twenty pillars
[26] and their forty silver bases, two bases for the one
pillar and two bases for the one pillar. [27] And on the
back parts of the tent seaward he made six pillars.
[28] And two pillars he made on the corners of the tent
on the backsides. [29] And they were even beneath, and
in the same way they were even at their capitals for one
connection. Thus he did for the two, for both corners.
[30] And there were eight pillars and their silver bases,
sixteen bases, two bases for the one pillar and two
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exodus 37–38
bases for the one pillar. [31] And he made five bars from
decay-resistant wood for the pillar on the one side of
the tent. [32] And five bars for the pillar on the second
side of the tent and five bars for the rear pillar of the
tent towards the sea. [33] And he made the middle bar
reaching between the pillars from side to side. [34] And
the pillars he gold-plated with gold, and their rings he
made of gold into which he inserted the bars, and he
gold-plated the bars with gold.
3(35) And they made the veil from blue and purple
and spun scarlet and twisted linen, a woven work
with cheroubim. 4(36) And they put it on four
decay-resistant pillars gold-plated with gold, and
their capitals were gold, and their four bases silver.
5(37) And they made the veil of the door of the tent
of witness from blue and purple and spun scarlet
and twisted linen, a woven work with cheroubim.
6(38) And its five pillars and their clasps and their
capitals and their bands they gold-plated with
gold, and their five bases were bronze.
7(38.9) And they made the courtyard. The
hangings of the courtyard towards the southwest
were from twisted linen, a hundred by a hundred.
8(10) And their pillars were twenty, and their bases
twenty. 9(11) And the side towards the north was a
hundred by a hundred, and their pillars were twenty, and their bases twenty. 10(12) And the side towards the sea, curtains were fifty cubits. Their pillars were ten, and their bases ten. 11(13) And the side
towards the east was fifty cubits; (14) there were
hangings of fifteen cubits to the rear, 12 and their
pillars were three, and their bases three. 13(15) And
on the second rear part here and there by the gate
of the courtyard there were curtains of fifteen cubits, and their pillars were three and their bases
three. 14(16) All the curtains of the courtyard were
from twisted linen. 15(17) And the bases of the pillars were bronze, and their hooks were silver, and
their capitals were silver-plated with silver, and the
pillars were silver-plated with silver, all the pillars
of the courtyard. 16(18) And the veil of the gate of
the courtyard was a work of an embroiderer from
blue and purple and spun scarlet and twisted linen;
the length was twenty cubits, and the height and
width were five cubits, equal to the hangings of
the courtyard. 17(19) And their four pillars and their
four bases were bronze, and their hooks were silver,
and their capitals were silver-plated with silver.
18(20) And they were silver-plated with silver, and all
the pegs of the courtyard around were bronze.
19(21) And this was the arrangement of the
tent of witness, as it was instructed to Moyses, for
the ministry of the Leuites through Ithamar the
son of Aaron, the priest. 20(22) And Beseleel the son
of Ouri from the tribe of Ioudas made according as
the Lord instructed Moyses, 21(23) and Eliab the son
of Achisamach from the tribe of Dan, who constructed the woven things and the needlework and
the embroidered things, to weave with scarlet and
linen.
(37.1)
2(2)
And Beseleel made the ark.
And he
38 gold-plated
it with pure gold inside and
79
outside and made for it gold molding all around.
he cast for it four gold rings, two on the
one side and two on the second side, 4(5) wide
enough for the staves so as to carry it by them.
5(6) And he made the propitiatory above the ark
from pure gold, 6(7) and two gold cheroubim,
7(8) one cheroub on the one end of the propitiatory and one cheroub on the second end of the propitiatory, 8(9) overshadowing with their wings the
propitiatory.
9(10, 11) And he made the presentation table
of pure gold. 10(13) And he cast for it four gold
rings, two on the one side and two on the second
side, wide enough so as to carry with the staves in
them. 11(15) And the staves of the ark and the table
he made and gold-plated them with gold.
3(3) And
[37.10b] From decay-resistant wood. Its length two cubits and its width a cubit and its height a cubit and a
half. [11] He gold-plated it with pure gold, and he made
for it gold molding around. [12] And he made for it a
rim, a handbreadth around. And he made gold molding for its rim around it. [13] And he made for it four
gold rings, and he put the rings on the four sides,
which are part of its four feet, [14] under the rim. And
the rings were for sheaths for its poles, so as to carry
the table. [15] And he made the poles from decay-resistant wood, and he gold-plated them with gold, so as
to carry the table.
12(16) And he made the utensils of the table, both
the bowls and the censers and the ladles and the libation bowls, those with which he would pour a libation, of gold.
13(17) And he made the lampstand, which
gives light, of gold, 14 firm, the stem (18) and the
branches on both of its sides, 15 from its branches
the buds projecting, three from this one and three
from that one, equal to one another, 16(19-22) and
their lamp-holders, which are on the ends, almond-like out of them, and the sockets out of
them in order that the lamps might be on them,
and the seventh socket on the end of the lampholder on the top above, firm, completely gold,
17(23) and seven lamps on it of gold and its snuffers
of gold and its pouring vessels of gold.
[37.17] From pure gold he made the lampstand engraved, its stem and its branches and its mixing bowls
and its buds and its lilies; they were part of it. [18] Now,
there were six branches going out from its sides, three
branches of the lampstand from its one side and three
branches of the lampstand from its second side.
[19] Three mixing bowls, shaped like nuts, on the one
branch a bud and a lily, and three mixing bowls
shaped like nuts, on the one branch a bud and a lily.
Thus for the six branches that go out from the lampstand. [20] And on the lampstand were four mixing
bowls shaped like nuts, its buds and its lilies. [21] The
bud was under the two branches of it, for the six
branches that go out from it. [22] Their buds and their
branches were part of it. The whole was engraved from
one piece of pure gold. [23] And he made its seven
lamps and its snuffers and its pouring vessels from
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exodus 38–40
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pure gold. [24] A talent of pure gold he made it and all
its utensils. [25] This man made the gold altar from
decay-resistant wood. Its length was five cubits and its
width, five cubits, square, and its height three cubits.
He made its horns. [26] And he gold-plated them with
pure gold, its top and its sides around and its horns,
and he made for it gold molding around it. [27] And
two gold rings he made for it under its molding on its
two sides beneath both its sides, for sheaths for the
poles in order to carry it by them. [28] And he made the
poles decay-resistant wood, and he gold-plated them
with gold.
18 This one silver-plated the pillars with silver, and
he cast gold rings for the pillars and gilded the bars
with gold and gold-plated the pillars of the veil
with gold, and he made the hooks of gold. 19 This
one made also the clasps of the tent of gold and
the clasps of the courtyard and clasps to spread out
the covering above of bronze. 20 This one cast the
silver capitals of the tent and the bronze capitals of
the door of the tent and for the gate of the courtyard. And he made silver hooks on the pillars. This
one silver-plated them. 21(38.20) This one made
both the pegs of the tent and the pegs of the courtyard of bronze.
22(1-2) This one made the bronze altar from
the bronze fire-pans that belonged to the men who
revolted with the gathering of Kore. 23(3)This one
made all the utensils of the altar, both its base and
the fire-pan and the saucers and the meat
hooks, of bronze. 24(4)This one made for the altar
an appendage, a latticed work beneath the fire-pan
under it, as far as its middle, (5) and he set on it
four rings on the four sides of the appendage of the
altar, of bronze, wide enough for the bars so as to
carry the altar by them.
25(37.29) This one made the holy oil of
anointing and the mixture of the incense, a pure
work of a perfumer.
26(38.8) This one made the bronze washbasin
and its bronze base from the mirrors of the women
who fasted, who fasted by the doors of the tent of
witness, in the day he pitched it. 27(40.30,31) And he
made the washbasin in order that Moyses and
Aaron and his sons might wash from it their hands
and feet. (32) When they went into the tent of witness or whenever they approached the altar to
minister, they would wash from it, according as the
Lord instructed Moyses.
(38.24)
All the gold that was fashioned into
39
the works according to all the workmanship of the holy things was part of the gold of the
first fruit: twenty-nine talents and seven hundred
and thirty shekels according to the holy shekel of
gold. 2(25) And an advance deduction of silver from
the registered men of the congregation was a hundred talents and one thousand and seven hundred
and seventy-five shekels, (26) one drachma per
head, half a shekel according to the holy shekel,
3 everyone passing by the registration from twenty
years and upward, about six hundred thousand
and three thousand and five hundred and fifty.
4(27) And
the hundred talents of silver were for the
casting of the capitals of the tent and for the capitals of the veil, 5 one hundred capitals for the hundred talents, a talent for a capital. 6(28) And the one
thousand and seven hundred and seventy-five
shekels they made into pillars’ hooks, and he goldplated their capitals, and he decorated them.
7(29) And the bronze of the advance deduction was
seventy talents and two thousand and four hundred shekels. 8(30a) And he made from it the bases
of the door of the tent of witness 9 and the bases of
the courtyard all around and the bases of the gate
of the courtyard and the pegs of the tent and the
pegs of the courtyard all around 10(30b) and the
bronze appendage of the altar and all the utensils
of the altar (39.32) and all the equipment of the tent
of witness. 11 And the sons of Israel made according
as the Lord instructed Moyses; so they made.
12 Now the remaining gold of the advance deduction they made into utensils to minister with
them before the Lord. 13(39.1) And the remaining
blue and purple and scarlet they made into ministry vestments for Aaron, so as to minister with
them in the holy place.
14(39.33) And they brought the vestments to
Moyses and the tent and its utensils and the bases
and its bars and the pillars 15(35) and the ark of the
covenant and its staves 16(38) and the altar and all
its utensils and the oil of the anointing and the incense of the mixture (37) and the pure lampstand
17 and its lamps, lamps for burning, and the oil for
the light 18(36) and the table of presentation and all
its utensils and the presentation loaves 19(41) and
the vestments of the holy place, that are Aaron’s
and the vestments of his sons for the priesthood,
20(40) and the hangings of the courtyard and its pillars and bases and the veil of the door of the tent
and of the gate of the courtyard 21 and all the utensils of the tent and all its equipment (34) and the
prepared hides, the red-dyed rams’ skins and the
coverings, blue skins and the covers for the rest
(40) and the pegs and all the equipment for the
works of the tent of witness. 22(42) As the Lord instructed Moyses, so the sons of Israel made all the
preparation. 23(43) And Moyses saw all the works,
and they had made them in the way the Lord instructed Moyses; so they made them. And Moyses
blessed them.
2
And the Lord spoke to Moyses, saying: In
40
day one of the first month at the new
moon, you shall set up the tent of witness, and
3
you shall position the ark of witness and shall protect the ark with the veil, 4 and you shall bring in
the table and present its presentation and shall
bring in the lampstand and put on its lamps, 5 and
you shall position the gold altar to burn incense before the ark and shall put the covering of the veil on
the door of the tent of witness, 6 and the altar of the
offerings you shall position near the doors of the
tent of witness and shall set the courtyard around
it. 7(9) And you shall take the oil of the anointing
and shall anoint the tent and all the things in it and
shall consecrate it and all its utensils, and they shall
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be holy. 8(10) And you shall anoint the altar of the
offerings and all its utensils, 9 and you shall consecrate the altar, and the altar shall be a holy of
holies. 10(12) And you shall bring Aaron and his
sons near to the doors of the tent of witness and
wash them with water, 11(13) and you shall put the
holy vestments on Aaron and shall anoint him and
consecrate him, and he shall serve me as priest.
12(14) And his sons you shall bring near and shall
put tunics on them, 13(15) and you shall anoint
them in the same way you anointed their father,
and they shall serve me as priests, and it shall be so
that their anointing for priesthood is forever for
their generations. 14(16) And Moyses did all the
things that the Lord commanded him; so he did.
15(17) And it happened in the first month in
the second year when they came out from Egypt, at
the new moon, the tent was set up, 16(18) and Moyses set up the tent and put on the capitals and inserted the bars and set up the pillars, 17(19) and he
stretched out the curtains over the tent and put on
the covering of the tent over it above, according as
the Lord instructed Moyses. 18(20) And taking the
witnesses, he put them into the ark and put the
staves under the ark, 19(21) and he brought the ark
into the tent and put on the covering of the veil
and protected the ark of witness, just as the Lord
instructed Moyses. 20(22) And he positioned the
81
table in the tent of witness on the side of the tent
of witness towards the north, outside the veil of
the tent, 21(23) and he presented on it loaves of
presentation before the Lord, just as the Lord instructed Moyses. 22(24) And he positioned the
lampstand in the tent of witness, towards the side
of the tent towards the south, 23(25) and he put on
its lamps before the Lord, just as the Lord instructed Moyses. 24(26) And he positioned the gold altar
in the tent of witness in front of the veil, 25(27) and
he burnt on it the incense of the mixture, according as the Lord instructed Moyses. 26(29) And the
altar of the offerings he placed near the doors of
the tent of witness, 27(33) and he set up the courtyard around the tent and the altar, and Moyses finished all the works.
28(34) And the cloud covered the tent of witness, and the tent was filled with the glory of the
Lord. 29(35) And Moyses was unable to enter into
the tent of witness, because the cloud was overshadowing it, and the tent was filled with the glory
of the Lord. 30(36) Now whenever the cloud lifted
from the tent, the sons of Israel moved camp with
their household stuff. 31(37) But if the cloud did not
lift, they did not move camp until the day in which
the cloud lifted. 32(38) For cloud was over the tent
by day and fire was over it by night before all Israel in all their journeyings.
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